


A Sort of Fairy Tale

by puss_nd_boots



Category: D (Band), DIAURA, Fest Vainqueur, Gotcharocka, Lycaon (Band), MEJIBRAY, Royz, 己龍 | Kiryuu
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Anal Sex, M/M, Oral Sex, Rimming, Shower Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 15:47:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 69,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8850817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puss_nd_boots/pseuds/puss_nd_boots
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a prince named Yo-ka whose father forced him to go through a Culling – a process by which a group of young men are gathered from each district of his kingdom and he eliminates them one by one until he finds his true love. There was another prince named Toya, who came along to offer his brother moral support, but planned to stay away from the fray. And there was a candidate named Subaru, who arrived from one of the country’s poorest districts with little more than a head full of dreams. All three were about to get more than they bargained for . . .





	1. Chapter 1 - Invitation to the Culling

**Author's Note:**

> The ultimate inspiration of this story was the concept behind ABC’s TV show The Bachelor, which I find repugnant – forcing a young man to eliminate women one by one, stomping on hearts and ripping apart friendships, until he arrives at his alleged true love. I began wondering, what if this ritual was applied to a Cinderella-like search for a royal consort . . . (During the planning stages of this fic, I became aware that there is a young adult series with a very similar concept to this fic called The Selection by Kiera Cass. While that series was not an influence on this fic – I have not read the books, just reviews of them – I figured I should note that here.) DIAURA belongs to Ains, Royz and Kiryu belong to B.P. Records, Mejibray belongs to White Side Group, D and Gotcharocka belong to God Child Records, Fest Vainqueur belongs to PLUG RECORDS west, and Initial’L is property of Battle Cry Sound Company. I own the story only. Please note that despite the rating and warnings, the NC-17 content happens entirely in the final chapter - until then, the fic is worksafe. My dear friend hamhamheaven made a [beautiful cover](https://68.media.tumblr.com/d9a5bafc7d0141d5159cf48b6d5b4c3c/tumblr_oi56jo3jQP1t1g7g5o2_r1_540.png) for this work!

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called Veekay that seemed to exist in its own little world.

Granted, Veekay had neighboring kingdoms – it wasn't as if it was totally isolated – but its residents were always caught up in their own traditions and their own lifestyles. It was a hodgepodge of cultures – European, Japanese, even a little North American. There were big celebrations for both Christmas and O-bon. You'd see people in kimono on the streets next to people in blue jeans.

The people had trains to take them from one part of their nation to the next, and entertainment via the radio and motion pictures, and wall-mounted telephones to communicate with each other. If they lived in one of the Upper Districts, they could take the more expensive ferryboats that went from port to port – about half the country was surrounded by water.

And, yes, the country was divided into districts, representing a range of social classes. The Upper Districts, including Lycaon and Versailles, housed the government officials, the trade barons, the universities and their professors. The Middle Districts, such as Mejibray and Kiryu, were the homes of the office workers and managers. There were a couple of trade districts that were filled with craftspeople.

Then, there were the Lower Districts. These were populated by factory workers, construction workers, and others that would be called the “blue-collar” classes in other nations. One such Lower District was Royz, a rough and tumble seaport, home to fishermen and the sailors who manned the merchant ships.

Above all these districts was the Royal Family. Because, of course, every true kingdom has a sovereign monarch, and this one had a rather stern and traditional king. He and his queen had three children. The eldest, a girl named Reiko, had long since married and moved away from home – in her first year of college, she eloped with the prince of a neighboring kingdom. They now lived there with their two children, with the promise that they would be co-sovereigns as soon as her in-laws retired.

And then, there were the two sons, Yo-ka and Toya. They were both of marrying age – they both liked men, but in this kingdom, that was no big deal. All romantic, sexual and gender identities were welcomed, any two non-related people could get married. The family had already agreed that Reiko's younger child would become the heir to the Veekay throne, so producing offspring wasn’t a problem.

The problem was that neither showed any inclination to get married.

The king was growing impatient. He was tired of the gossip of his sons carousing, having casual affairs, going from boyfriend to boyfriend. It was conduct unbecoming royalty – especially in the case of Yo-ka, who was his heir, for goodness sake.

So the king decided it was time to do something about it. It was time to carry out one of the nation's traditions.

And it is here that our story begins . . .

* * *

In the district of Royz lived a young man named Subaru. He was just another face in the crowd – though many remarked that the face in question, surrounded by long, blond hair, was quite cute. Like anyone else in the town, he worked at a nautical-related job – he was a clerk in a tugboat office, and occasionally piloted the tugs himself. He had a nautical-related hobby – he and his friends would go surfing on their off-hours.

But there were times – many of them, in fact – that he dreamed of life outside their seafaring village.

“Don't you ever wonder what it would be like?” he asked his friends as they waxed their surfboards. “Living somewhere else, I mean? Traveling around the country?”

His friends exchanged looks. “Subaru,” Kuina said, “in case you haven't noticed, we're from Royz. We're from one of the lowest districts in the country.”

“So?” Subaru said. “That doesn't mean we can't go elsewhere, does it? Wouldn't you like to know how the other half lives?”

“I've wondered about it,” Kodai said. “But Kuina's right, Subaru. People like us can't afford to travel around. Besides – what's wrong with where we are? We don't really want for anything, do we? We're not rich, but we have food on the table.”

“Hey, I'd like to see what it's like in other places,” Tomoya said.

“See?” said Subaru. “It's not just me.”

“But I'm also realistic enough to know I'm probably not going to unless I build my own boat,” said Tomoya. “Actually, that may not be a bad idea.”

“You, build your own boat?” said Kuina. “I'd like to see you try it.”

“How hard can it be?” said Tomoya. “It just has to float, right?”

Subaru went back to his waxing. He probably wouldn't see the world outside their village, that was true – but that didn't stop him from dreaming about it.

* * *

And then, one day, when he was at work, an old man arrived with news that meant a dramatic turn in his life.

He was behind the clerk's desk, and Kuina – who also worked for the tug company – was sweeping the office floor. “It's dead in here today,” Kuina said. “Wonder if everyone would notice if I went home?”

“That's usually when a ton of business arrives,” Subaru said. “Just when you're ready to sneak out. Don't tempt fate.”

“Well, what if I climbed out a back window? Then fate wouldn't know I was leaving, and . . .”

The door jingled. There stood one of the old fishermen in the traditional yellow rain slicker, his beard still carrying a mist of sea foam.

“So much for not tempting fate,” Subaru murmured to Kuina. To the old man, he said, “May I help you?”

“Not so much what you can do for me,” the old guy said. “Just wanted to know if you heard the news from the capital.”

“We don't pay attention to the capital,” Kuina said. “Because the capital doesn't give a crap about us. The royal family likes to pretend the Lower Districts don't exist.”

“You're gonna wanna pay attention to this, boy!” the old man said. “Seems the Palace is holding a Culling, and the Crown Prince is looking for a male mate.”

Subaru and Kuina exchanged puzzled glances. “What's a Culling?” Subaru said.

“What's a Culling?” the old man repeated. “Don't tell me you've never heard of . . . well, you're young'uns, aren'cha, you wouldn't have been around when the King married the Queen. They never did hold a Culling for the princess, she took off with some guy on her own.”

“Well, I know the Princess married Prince Jaejoong and lives in Kaypop,” Subaru said. “But that still doesn't tell us what a Culling is.”

“'Kay, it goes like this,” the old man said. “They pick one person of the prince or princess's preferred gender from each district. They line 'em up, the palace people interview them and look 'em over and decide which one has the best chance of being picked. And then those picked people go live in the palace and get to know the prince or princess, and they travel around and live in the other royal palaces throughout the country. The royal person eliminates people they think they don’t have a chance with as they go along. And finally, they're down to two, and the prince or princess picks one of 'em as a mate.”

“Wait a minute,” Subaru said. “Travel? If you participate in this thing, you get to travel?”

“Well, the people from the richer districts do, I reckon,” the old man said. “They always pick one of the rich ones in the end, y'know what I mean? People from Royz are always booted in the first round of the Culling. One and done. But hey, you get picked for this, you get to spend a coupl'a days in the capital ‘fore they kick you out, right?”

Subaru's eyes were practically alight. “Where do I sign up?” he said.

“Whoa, whoa, Subaru, calm down,” Kuina said. “Do you even know what you're getting into?”

“I'm getting into being able to see the capital if I'm chosen!” Subaru said. “Kuina, it's what I've always wanted! It's a chance to get away from here for a little while and see something else!”

“But . . . would you really want to be in some kind of contest to marry the prince? That seems kinda . . . old-fashioned?”

“Told ya he wouldn't have to worry about gettin’ to the end,” the old man said. “Never knew of anyone from Royz making the second round. But if he wants to go to the capital, let him sign up.”

“There's no guarantee I'll even be picked,” Subaru said. “But I at least want to try. No harm in trying, right?”

“I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?” Kuina said.

“What do you think?” said Subaru.

Kuina threw up his hands. “Fine. Sign up for it. If you get picked, I'll cover for you here while you’re gone.”

“Thank you!” Subaru said. He was practically doing a jig behind his desk. If he got chosen . . . if he was going to be a part of this thing . . . he'd see somewhere else in the kingdom, at long last. He'd fulfill his ultimate dream.

And if he wasn't picked? At least he tried. His life wouldn't be one big what-if – and that had to count for something.

* * *

At the palace, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Yo-ka of Valluna sat in his office, fuming.

His desk was covered with reports from the selection squad that was currently going from district to district, picking what they thought were the most beautiful, eligible and full-of-personality men from each district. They'd be here in a couple of days.

He didn't want to see any of them. He just wanted to send the whole lot of them home as soon as they arrived.

He'd had it out with his father over the idea of the Culling several times. The last one had been over dinner the night before.

“Is it still too late to call it off?” Yo-ka had said. “I really don't think that I want to . . .”

“You are NOT calling it off,” his father said. “It's settled.”

“It's not settled until the men start arriving,” said Yo-ka.

“It has been announced and the selection squads are making the rounds,” his father said. “And even if they weren't, you WILL be going through with this, Yo-ka.”

“I don't know why I need to!” Yo-ka said.

“Because NEITHER of you have done anything about finding a mate!” his father snapped.

Yo-ka glanced over at his brother. Toya just rolled his eyes. He'd been through this drill before – a lot.

“I date,” Yo-ka said. “We both date.”

“Carousing in bars and having flings with young actors isn't dating!” the king snapped. “It's acting like a public embarrassment. It is WAY beyond time for both of you to be married. Why, when I was your age, I'd been married five years and had my first child already!”

“Fine, I'll calm down the going to bars, even though I didn't think that was excessive anyway,” Yo-ka said. “But I still disagree with this Culling crap!”

“Do NOT use language like that in my presence!” his father said. “You need to use restraint!”

“He was using restraint,” Toya said. “He didn't tell you what he REALLY thinks of it.”

“And YOU need to watch your attitude, young man,” the king said. “You are BOTH lucky that I'm letting you indulge your tastes and seek male suitors! There was a time where EVERY prince had to take a female spouse no matter what his preferences were! You're both lucky I don't make arranged marriages for you – there's plenty of princesses in other kingdoms looking for husbands!”

“Dear, really, your father means the best,” their mother said. “He just wants you to be happy. I met your father in a Culling, remember. We've had a good marriage.”

“Mother, I'm not taking anything away from your marriage,” Yo-ka said. “I just hate the idea of the whole Culling process. It's demeaning. Bringing in a heard of potential spouses, like cattle, and then tossing them away like garbage? We should have progressed past that by now.”

“It's tradition,” the father said. “This nation is held together by it. And we are NOT going to break with it, you understand me? You go through with this Culling, or you will lose the throne.” He turned to Toya. “And YOU will choose a spouse in a Culling as well, or you'll lose your place as second to the throne!”

“What if I don't find someone in this Culling?” Yo-ka said. “What if none of them appeal to me?”

“Then we start all over again,” his father said. “My grandfather went through THREE complete Cullings until he found my grandmother.”

“There is someone out there for you,” said his mother. “For both of you. And this makes it easier to find that person, that's all. Please, Yo-ka – trust in your father, and trust in this process.”

So here Yo-ka was, beaten down by the will of his parents, facing the goddamn human cattle call. He just wanted it to be over. He just wanted to pick someone so his parents would be off his back for six months.

He knew very well that the person picked at the end of the Culling didn't automatically marry the prince – that person then became known as the Pledged. That meant he would date the Pledged exclusively for six months, at the end of which, he would decide whether to proceed to an engagement – or cut the person loose and, like his father said, start all over again.

The office door opened. Yo-ka looked up to see his brother leaning against the doorway.

“Planning on staying here all night?” Toya said.

“Well, I sure as hell can't go out 'carousing' anymore, can I?” Yo-ka said. “I'm just sorry they're going to have to put you through this as well.”

“Hey, it may not be so bad.” Toya approached the desk. “You may actually meet someone you like.”

“Yes, and then have to break the hearts of a bunch of other guys,” Yo-ka said. “What sadist designed this thing, anyway?”

“Does it matter?” Toya began rummaging through the papers, looking to see if his brother was hiding any mints or candies under them. “Oh, by the way, daddy dearest is insisting I accompany you on this thing – so I can observe the Culling process firsthand and 'learn respect for it.'”

“Lovely,” Yo-ka said. “Well, I'll be glad for the company, at least.”

“You're going to be surrounded by hot guys.” Toya found a roll of mints and began peeling the paper away from the end. “I'd say that's plenty of company.”

“I'm only allowed to interact with them during 'events,' though,” Yo-ka said. “Cocktail parties, individual dates, group dates and dinner. And that's another thing. How the hell am I going to get anything more than a first impression from any of this? How am I going to get to know anyone well enough to take it to an engagement?”

“That's why the Pledge period, remember?” said Toya. “Look, I think the whole thing sucks, too. Especially that daddy dearest is not giving us an alternative. But at least you don't have to marry the guy straight out at the end of it.”

“They used to,” Yo-ka said. “Make the prince marry his chosen at the end of the Culling, I mean. And that's why most of the Higher Districts are populated by the descendants of royal bastards.” He’d heard the whispers about the family’s secret history many times. Within a year of marrying the alleged love of his life, the king would be getting it on with the maids. The babies would be given a duke or earl title and sent to live with nobles as their “nephew.”

Yo-ka leaned over, putting his head on his folded arms. “Toya, sometimes I think I'd be happier if I were a commoner, you know?”

“You might be,” Toya said. “But your clothes wouldn't be as nice. And you'd have lesser quality mints. These are really good.”

Yo-ka raised his head a bit. “Who said you could take my mints?”

“If they're on the desk? They're fair game among family.” He put his hand on Yo-ka's shoulder. “Yo-ka, it'll be okay. We'll make the most of this crap. If anything else, when we're traveling around, we won't have to listen to our father bellow constantly for awhile, right?”

He had a point there. But Yo-ka still just wanted this whole thing to be over. He inwardly swore than when he became King, he would never make his successor go through a Culling. Ever.

* * *

Subaru stood on the deck of the boat, watching the land mass that was the capital get closer and closer, feeling the spray on his face.

It was really happening. In a few moments, he was going to the palace. He was going to see things he never even thought he'd see in his wildest dreams.

Getting chosen for the Culling had been surprisingly easy. For one thing, not that many guys went out for it – apparently, the old man had talked to a lot of people about Royz' record of being “one and done” in these things. For another, his “audition” had been simple – they interviewed him, took a couple of photos, and two days later came to his house with the news that he was going to the capital.

So here he was, along with his suitcase and surfboard, on a merchant vessel that was going to the capital anyway, so they gave him a lift. (He wasn't going to take a board at first, but his friends insisted. “You have to tell us how the waves are at the capital!” Tomoya said.)

The first mate, a grizzled-looking old seafarer with rumpled hair and equally rumpled clothes, approached Subaru. “They know we're coming?” he said.

“The captain said he'd radio the palace when we make our final approach,” Subaru said. “They'll send someone to the docks to meet me.”

“You're gonna be livin' the high life, that's for sure,” the mate said. “Fancy food, fancy clothes, fancy everything.”

“I do wonder if they're going to give me new clothes.” Subaru looked down at what he was wearing – a dark dress suit, borrowed from his father. For Royz, it was fancy. For the rest of the country? Not so much.

“Reckon they gotta, if you're gonna meet the prince,” said the mate. “You're gonna have a story to tell when you get back home.” He walked toward the ship's bridge. “Looks like we're gonna dock. You may wanna get inside and get your stuff.”

Subaru held his breath as the ship pulled in, and was tied to the dock, and finally, finally, FINALLY the gangplank was pulled into place. This is it, he thought. This is it, I'm getting off at the capital, I'm going to the palace, and I'm never going to be a boy who's gone nowhere and seen nothing again.

He picked up his suitcase in one hand, tucked his surfboard under his arm, and nearly bounded down the plank. “Thanks for the ride! It was lovely!” he called over his shoulder to the crew. He reached the bottom, and looked around . . .

There were two men in severe, military-like uniforms. They were looking around as well. One of them nudged the other and pointed to the ship Subaru came from, and their noses wrinkled as if they were smelling particularly overripe garbage.

The men approached him, slowly. “Are you Subaru of Royz?” one of them said.

“I'm . . .” Subaru started to give his full name, but he was stopped by the guard holding up his hand.

“During the Culling, all candidates are known only by their first name and the name of their district,” he said. “For the duration of your time with us, you are Subaru of Royz. Now, come with us, we will bring you to the palace. You're one of the last to arrive. You will put your things away and proceed directly to orientation.”

“Orientation?” said Subaru.

“The briefing on the Culling procedure,” said the other guard. “We certainly aren't going to toss you straight into it without knowing what to expect. Now, come this way.”

Subaru followed the two men, his head whipping this way and that, trying to take everything in as he was led to a long, black automobile. Look, there were buildings three times as tall as anything in his hometown! Lit-up signs with advertisements! People walking by in beautiful, well-tailored clothes! Even the small, fluffy white dog being walked on a leash looked more elegant than anything back home!

They got to the car, and one guard took his suitcase. “I'm not sure how we're going to transport this . . .”

“Surboard,” said Subaru. “It's called a surfboard. We use them where I'm from to ride on waves.”

“We can strap it to the top of the car,” the second guard said. “Fortunately, we still have straps.”

“Oh, did someone else bring a surfboard?” Subaru said.

“Hardly,” said the guard. “No, a few of the candidates brought unusually large amounts of luggage. More than we could fit in the trunk.”

“Wow,” Subaru said. He couldn't imagine owning that many clothes – let alone bringing them along with him!

“Some people are quite confident about the amount of time they will be in the Culling,” the first guard said.

When the surfboard was secure, and Subaru seated in the back, they took off – and Subaru leaned over, face nearly pressed against the window. Everything looked beautiful and elegant to him – the people, the clothing, the stores, the cars . . .

Before long, the car turned onto a winding road, and started up the side of a steep path. Subaru held his breath – this was it! Sure enough, after a couple of turns, the palace itself came in view, turrets gleaming in the sunlight, pennants flapping in the air. His eyes got bigger and bigger the closer to it they got.

Finally, they reached a guardhouse, where the guard checked the credentials of the car before opening the huge, iron gates before them. They drove past, and right into an underground garage, where the car was parked next to a group of similar-looking ones.

Another guard approached the vehicle. “This boy is Subaru of Royz?” he said.

“Yes, sir!” Subaru replied, bowing as best he could while still seated in the car.

“Come with me,” the newcomer said. “There's just enough time to put your things in your room before the orientation.”

“Oh, am I late?” Subaru said as the door to the car was opened. He hopped out. “I'm sorry, I came on a merchant boat, and we just pulled in, and . . .”

“It's all right,” the guard said – but he muttered under his breath to the other two, “I would expect nothing different from people from THERE.”

Subaru was taken aback. He'd heard plenty about how people looked down their noses at those from the Lower Districts, but he wasn't expecting to hear it so soon. He suddenly felt his I'm-in-the-city high coming down very quickly.

I just hope I don't hear much more of that kind of thing, he thought, as he was whisked away, one guard carrying his suitcase, another struggling with his surfboard.

* * *

The orientation was held in one of the grand ballrooms. Subaru entered the room trying not to gawk – but it was hard. There were white marble columns holding up the ceiling, paintings of ancient mythological figures frolicking in meadows all over the walls, a grander-than-grand piano in one corner. Rows of folding chairs were set up in front of a lectern, and young men were milling everywhere.

For the first time, Subaru got a look at his competition. They were gorgeous. He'd never seen so many beautiful, well-dressed, well-groomed men in his life. Suddenly, his black dress suit looked plainer than ever.

He was still wandering around, trying not to stare at anything or anyone, when he was approached by a tall, blond boy – reasonably well-dressed in a black shirt and pants with a matching, sparkly bolero, but not as over-the-top glamorous as some of the others.

“Hi,” the boy said. “I'm MiA. I'm from Mejibray.”

Subaru recognized the name of one of the Middle Districts. “I'm Subaru,” he said. “I'm from, um . . .” He looked around, then mumbled, “Royz.”

“Did you say Royz?” MiA said. Subaru just nodded. “Well, that's okay! I'll bet you've never been in a place like this before!”

“You could say that,” Subaru said. “This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen!”

“Same here,” said MiA. “I've traveled a little, mostly for my work, but I've never been in a palace.”

“What's your work?” Subaru said.

“Photography,” MiA said. “I take pictures for one of the newspapers in Mejibray. But I'm also looking to be a musician. I practice guitar all the time – I brought it with me, in fact.”

“A musician?” said Subaru. “That sounds great! I'm, well . . . I work with boats.”

“You build them?” MiA said.

“More like I'm a clerk for a tugboat company,” said Subaru. “I wanted to work on one of the merchant ships, so I could travel a little, but a friend of the family owned the tug company and he really needed the help, so . . .” He shrugged.

“Maybe you could . . .” MiA said, but before he could finish, a portly older man approached the lectern and tapped the microphone, causing a squeal of feedback that made everyone in the room hold his ears and grimace.

“Excuse me, gentlemen, will you please take your seats?” the man said.

“Come on, let's sit over here,” MiA said, leading Subaru to a pair of aisle seats.

“I would like to welcome you all to the palace,” the man said. “My name is Ohara Hideki, Fifth Earl of Pierrot, and I am one of the royal advisors. I am the coordinator for this Culling, held on behalf of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Yo-ka of Valluna. Now, I know the first question all of you have is when you are going to meet the prince. There will be a reception tonight, at which time you will each be allowed to greet His Highness. Over the next several days, you will be all scheduled for one-on-one interviews with the Prince, after which he will make his first cut and send five of you home.”

“That means fifteen of us move on to the next palace,” MiA whispered.

“The procedure for eliminations will be this,” said the Earl. “You will all be given badges to wear – rosettes in the royal colors with your names on them. On the eve of eliminations, your badges will be handed in to staff. The next morning, they will be returned to you. If your badge has a new ribbon on it – and there will be a different colored ribbon for each elimination – then the prince has requested that you stay. If you have no new ribbon, you have been eliminated, and arrangements will be made for your transport home.”

Subaru thought about what the old man had said about “one and done.” Was that going to happen to him? Would he be send home in the first elimination?

“Those of you who make the first cut will then move on with the royal entourage to one of the family's other palaces,” said the Earl. “There, the prince will schedule dates with some of you. If you are not chosen for a one-on-one date, you will go on a group date with him later in the week. At the end of the second week, he will eliminate five more people.

“The remaining ten will move to a third palace for another week of dates, at the end of which two people will be sent home. There will be double eliminations for the next two weeks, at two more palaces. Then, there will be two weeks when a single person is sent home, until the prince is down to the final pair. And those two will come back here, where the prince will choose the one he will be pledged to in a grand ceremony in front of the king and queen.”

Instantly, Subaru felt sorry for whoever the runner-up would be. To come that far, to develop feelings for the prince, only to get his heart broken in front of the whole royal family? It seemed flat-out brutal.

“Now, mind you, there are no prizes given except to the first and second runners-up,” the Earl said. “The third place finisher gets . . .” He named a pretty stunning monetary sum. “And the runner-up will get . . .” He named an absolutely jaw-dropping amount. “The prince may also choose to bestow titles of nobility on runners-up as he sees fit.”

“Seems that losing isn't so bad, in this case,” whispered one of the guys in front of Subaru.

“And one more thing,” said the Earl. “Keep in mind that there will be NO physical hanky-panky between any of you and the Prince. He is forbidden to do that with anyone but his Pledged, and that is AFTER he is officially pledged to him.”

“Like that's going to stop him,” the guy in front of Subaru murmured.

“When not engaged in activities with the prince, there are certain areas you will have access to for your entertainment, including the royal library, the beaches and the tennis courts,” the Earl continued. “You have a handbook in your rooms that outlines that. But you are NOT to go in any undesignated areas without a member of the Royal Family present. Disobedience is cause for removal from the competition. Remember, breakfast is promptly at eight each morning, lunch is at noon and dinner at seven. Now, I'm willing to take questions . . .”

Subaru just mulled all this over. It probably wouldn't apply to him – he knew he'd most likely be “one and done” like anyone else from Royz – but he still found the whole thing fascinating.

He found himself wanting to be a fly on the wall to see this thing through to the end.

* * *

Subaru didn't have much time to breathe once the orientation was over.

He said goodbye to his new friend, MiA, at the entrance to the wing where the candidates were housed. He went back to his suite of rooms – which was roughly the size of his family's entire house – with the intention of unpacking, only to hear a knock on the door as soon as it was closed behind him.

There stood a liveried butler, holding a black garment bag. “Your outfit for tonight's festivities, sir,” he said.

“Outfit?” Subaru gingerly took the bag. “I didn't order an outfit.”

“Did they not take your measurements when you were chosen as a candidate, sir?”

“Well, yes . . .”

“That's what it was for. The palace provides appropriate attire for your first meeting with the prince and your subsequent interview with him. At least we do so for those who we feel would not have brought said attire from home.”

“Really?” Subaru said. Part of him was thrilled. Part of him was insulted – this seemed to be yet another sign that people from the Lower Districts were considered “not good enough” here.

“Yes, sir,” the butler said. “And if you require assistance from our staff, please dial a 5 from the phone next to your bed.”

“We have room service?” Subaru said. “Wow!”

“You do, indeed, sir.” The butler bowed and took his leave.

Subaru opened the garment bag – and saw a gorgeous grey silk suit, with a matching tie and a white shirt. It was unlike anything he'd ever owed – unlike anything anyone he'd ever met in person had ever owned.

“Well, damn,” he whispered, breathlessly, holding it out at arms' length. He had to get changed, as soon as . . .

And then, there was another knock on the door. He opened it, and there was a woman in a bright pink smock, wearing equally bright pink lipstick, matched by the bright pink highlights in her hair.

“Stylist!” she said. “I have come to get you ready for the party.”

Subaru looked baffled. “You're here . . . for . . .”

“Your hair and makeup, sir,” she said. “We have stylists assisting all the gentlemen who are going to the party.”

Now Subaru nearly fell on the floor. He'd never worn makeup before. Makeup on men was a luxury for the rich. “I can't believe this!” he said.

“Why not?” said the stylist, coming into his quarters. “It's standard for an occasion like this. Now, I need a chair with a light, and I need to see the outfit you're wearing . . .”

By the time party time rolled around, Subaru was in front of his mirror, looking at someone he barely recognized as himself. His hair was neatly styled around his face and sprayed. His eyes had some sparkly, silver-grey powder and liner on them, his lips were lined and colored a sort of dusty rose.

“I hope someone takes pictures,” he said to his reflection. “They won't believe it at home.”

He opened the door and stepped into the hall, pocketing his key. MiA was slightly ahead of him. He hastened to catch up to the other man – who was wearing a stunning outfit that consisted of a black jacket that was long in the back and short in the front, to show off the black silk shorts he wore. Long black gloves covered his hands, and on his head was a sparkly tiara.

“Hi!” Subaru said. “You look great! Did they give you that outfit?”

“No,” said MiA. “A friend made it for me. His name's Koichi – he wants to be a fashion designer. As soon as I was chosen, he started working on this.”

“He's talented!” Subaru said. “I'd like to have a friend like that!”

“He's a sweet guy,” MiA said, softly. “I've known him for quite awhile. He's always encouraged my guitar-playing, too.”

“I do need to hear you play,” Subaru said. “I can't imagine how hard it must be to learn!”

“It takes work,” MiA said. “But my teachers say I'm a natural.”

At the end of the candidates' quarters, they were greeted by bowing staff members, who escorted them to the ballroom – a different one than they had been in earlier. “How many ballrooms does this place have?” Subaru whispered.

“I don't know if we'll ever find out,” MiA replied.

They walked in, and found themselves surrounded by their fellow candidates – 20 in all – as well as some dignitaries. The former were easily identified by the rosettes they wore, which had been left in their rooms.

A young man with shoulder-length blond-frosted brown hair, wearing a ruffled black ball gown, came up to them, a big smile on his face. “Hi,” he said. “I'm Ruiza. I'm from Denis-Auvergne-Puy-de-Dome, but everyone just calls it D.”

“Is that how you're referring to yourself?” Subaru said. “Ruiza of D?”

“Well, of course,” said Ruiza. “I don't feel like saying the whole place name over and over again, it's a mouthful! So where are you guys from?”

“Mejibray,” MiA said. “And this is my first time in the capital.”

“What about you, Subaru?” Ruiza said.

“It's my first time in the capital, too,” Subaru said, quickly.

“No, no, I mean, where are you from?” Ruiza said.

Subaru bit his lip and looked down. He remembered all too well the catty remarks of the staff.

“It doesn't matter to me,” Ruiza said. “I sure as hell don't judge people by where they're from.”

“Royz,” Subaru said. “I'm from Royz.”

“Well, cool! You live right on top of the ocean, then,” Ruiza said. “We don't have enough beaches in D.”

Another young man wearing a pink dress, with flowers in his styled blond hair, approached them. “The high and mighty have arrived,” he told Ruiza. “All the Upper District candidates are over there.” He turned to the other two. “Oh, I'm Hiyori of Kiryu, by the way.”

“That's MiA of Mejibray, and that's Subaru of Royz,” Ruiza said. “So what do the rich bastards look like?”

“Disgustingly gorgeous, of course,” Hiyori said. “We've got our work cut out for us.”

Subaru looked over to the other side of the room. There was one young man in a velvet suit that looked like something from another century, talking to an equally beautiful young man with shoulder-length, curly violet hair, wearing a floor-length black dress with a plunging neckline that showed a generous amount of flesh, but still managed to look elegant.

“Is that who you're talking about?” he said.

“Teru of Versailles and Yuuki of Lycaon,” Ruiza said. “They're from two of the wealthiest families in the country.”

“The betting pools are pretty much saying the final choice is between the two of them,” said Hiyori.

“There are people BETTING on this?” MiA said, eyes popping. “Really?”

“Oh, yes,” Hiyori said. “We don't have casinos in Kiryu, of course – we're very much into preserving traditional culture, and casinos don't fit in with that. But I have some friends from Codomo Dragon, where they definitely have casinos, and that's what they're saying.”

“Who's the representative from Codomo Dragon, anyway?” said MiA. “Is it someone you know?”

“I haven't seen him yet,” Hiyori said. “But I don't think it's anyone I know.”

A waiter came around with a tray of champagne flutes. Subaru hesitated. “Go ahead, you can take one,” MiA said. “It's what they're for.”

“I'm just not used to this kind of thing,” Subaru said, blushing, taking a flute quickly.

“It's okay,” Ruiza said, picking up a flute himself. “Enjoy it while we're here!” He held the glass toward the others. “To living it up while we can!”

“Hear, hear!” Hiyori said, as they clinked their glasses.

Subaru took a sip, and his tastebuds nearly exploded in ecstasy. It was so beyond anything he'd ever tasted, a medley of flavors and aromas that seemed to permeate his soul. “It's wonderful,” he said.

“You can have more!” Hiyori said. “Not like any of us are driving or working tonight!”

Subaru just couldn't believe it – this day had gotten flat-out surreal. The beautiful surroundings, the beautiful people, the terrific champagne . . .

What else is going to happen tonight? he thought. What's going to happen when we meet the Prince?

* * *

In a corridor outside the ballroom, Crown Prince Yo-ka of Valluna was having the final finishing touches put on him by his stylists. One was applying a bit more color to his cheeks. Another was straightening the braid on the shoulders of his military uniform.

His father, in full royal regalia complete with crown, stood in front of him. “Yo-ka, I hope you appreciate the full gravity of what you are about to embark on,” the man said. “The choice of a life partner is not made easily for one in your position. This person is going to be your helpmate. Someone to talk to in times of crisis. Someone who can be relied upon. I don't want you to go choosing on the basis of a pretty face alone.”

“I'm not getting married tonight, Father,” Yo-ka said. “This isn't some fairy tale where I'm going to dance with someone once and then propose to him. I'm just meeting them for the first time. Then I interview them. Then there's week after week of dating.”

And I just want the whole thing to be over with, he thought. I just want my father to shut up.

“You may say that tonight doesn't matter,” said his father, “but this is the first step on your journey. Take the right step and it will lead you down the path to happiness. Take the wrong one and you'll be eternally lost in the woods.”

Yo-ka would have rolled his eyes if they weren't closed so the stylist could blend his shadow. His father could sometimes speak in prose more purple than a concord grape. “I know, Father,” he grumbled.

“I am going to speak to the candidates,” the king said. “You be ready to be brought in.”

As soon as he was gone, Yo-ka's brother, clad in a similar uniform, emerged from behind him. “Sometimes I wonder if we're really his children,” he said. “I mean, who the hell talks like THAT?”

“He's just making this even harder,” Yo-ka said. The stylists finished their work, bowed and retreated.

“Look, Yo-ka, I know this sucks and all, but just try to keep an open mind when you go in there, okay?” Toya said. “Like I said last night – you might actually meet someone you like. And if that happens? Go for it. Have fun with him – not because our father's being a blowhard, but because YOU like this guy and want to spend time with him.”

“I'm going to say that to you when it's YOUR turn to go through this, you know,” Yo-ka said.

“Just promise me you'll go into this with at least something of an open mind? I DO want you to find someone, you know. And you know we won't be allowed to date like normal guys as long as he's running the show.” He jerked his head toward the door their father had disappeared behind.

Yo-ka sighed. “All right,” he said. “I promise.”

The door opened, and one of the servants came out. “Your Highness,” he said, “your father is finishing up. It's time.”

“Showtime,” Toya said, patting his brother on the shoulder.

Yo-ka got behind the doors, tugging his jacket one last time. Here goes nothing, he thought.

The door opened, and he stepped into the ballroom. The candidates were all in one long line going down the side of the room, having been arranged by the servants.

He was trying very hard not to stare at them.

“Good evening,” he said. “I am, as you've probably guessed, Yo-ka of Valluna, Crown Prince of Veekay. But just call me Yo-ka – please. I'm happy to see you all here tonight, and I'm looking forward to getting to know you all. Those of you who are chosen to progress beyond the first round will get a chance to see some of the country, because we'll be traveling between royal palaces – and I really hope we get good weather, because I'd really like to take you on outdoor dates. So, yes, I hope we all enjoy ourselves during this process.”

The candidates applauded, and Yo-ka took a deep breath. Well, that part went okay, he thought.

“Your Highness,” the king said, “Earl Ohara will now present each of the candidates to you. Candidates, when your name is called, you will approach the prince and speak to him briefly – remember, you will have a full interview with him this week.”

The Earl – who had seen to it that the men were lined up in the order that they would be called – spoke the first name. “Yuuki of Lycaon.”

A small man with curly violet hair stepped forward and walked up to Yo-ka, bowing to him gracefully. “Good evening,” he said. “I am pleased to meet you, Your Highness.”

“I'm pleased to meet you, too,” Yo-ka said. “How was your journey here?”

“I had a good book, or else I would have gone out of my mind,” Yuuki said. “You know how long the train trip is from Lycaon, don't you?”

“I've been on it,” Yo-ka said. “It can be brutal. You had a comfortable car, at least?”

“Private cabins are a godsend,” Yuuki said. “But at least I'm glad to be here.” He leaned over and whispered, “I don't envy you. This much formality in dating must be hell.”

Yo-ka instantly decided he liked this guy. “You hit that nail on the head,” he whispered back.

“Thank you, Yuuki,” the Earl said, signaling that the man's time was up. “Next, Teru of Versailles . . .”

For the next seeming eternity, Yo-ka exchanged pleasantries with his 20 candidates, and, like his brother said, tried to keep an open mind. And there were a few that did manage to make a decent first impression.

Ruiza of D was elegant and cheerful. Kana of Codomo Dragon was sweet. So was Hiyori of Kiryu, although Yo-ka caught a hint of a playful side. Hiro of Fest Vanqueur had even more of hint of mischief. MiA of Mejibray was lovely, relaxed and casual. All of them got filed away in a mental “actually looking forward to their interviews” box.

The Earl leaned over and whispered, “There's only the representatives of the Lower Districts left.”

“So?” Yo-ka whispered back. “They're people, too. Bring them up here.”

The Earl called out, “Subaru of Royz.”

A blond in a gray suit rushed toward Yo-ka – and then quickly caught himself, as if he knew he was going too fast. “Hi!” the boy said. “I'm Subaru.” And then, as if remembering his manners, he bowed and said, “It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”

“Hi yourself, Subaru,” Yo-ka said. “You look very happy to be here.”

“I am,” Subaru said. “I'm really grateful for the chance to come here, Your Highness. It's all so beautiful! Including my rooms. I never, ever thought I'd get to see a place like this. And I've met so many people so far! It's, well . . . is it a cliché to say it's a dream come true?”

“Not at all,” Yo-ka said.

“So, again – thank you, Your Highness. I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life.”

Yo-ka leaned over toward the boy. “You can just call me Yo-ka, Subaru. I said that when you guys came in, and I mean it.”

“Okay, it's Yo-ka, then!” Subaru said. “And I probably have to go. You have other guys to meet.”

“Yes – but we'll be meeting again, remember?” said Yo-ka. “At the interview?”

“Oh, yes!” Subaru said. “Well, I'll see you there!” He bowed again, and went to the other side of the room, where the other candidates were.

Yo-ka watched him go, as the Earl announced the next candidate. A boy from a Lower District, he thought, who's physically adorable, and genuinely happy about being here . . . no, flat-out joyful. In fact, his enthusiasm was contagious. For the first time, Yo-ka actually found himself glad this was happening.

* * *

Subaru was sitting at a table with his three new friends. The last remains of dinner were being cleared away by the staff, and tea and coffee were being poured.

Once they were done greeting the prince, the candidates were whisked into a dining room for a fancy meal – and were told that the royal family was dining in separate quarters tonight. “Once you start moving from palace to palace,” the Earl said, “the Prince will sometimes dine with the candidates.”

“If we make it to the palace moving,” Subaru murmured. He was still thinking about his first meeting with the prince. Yo-ka wasn’t what he expected. He was, of course, ridiculously beautiful – even more than he looked in photographs. But Subaru’s initial impression of him was that he was, well . . . natural. No phony airs.

He found himself very much hoping he’d make the first cut, so he could find out more about him.

Now, as they sipped their coffee, MiA said, “We can look forward to a week in the palace now, at least.”

“I’m dividing my time between the library and the beach,” Ruiza said.

“Are we allowed to go into town at all?” said Hiyori, picking up his teacup.

“I’d like to see the town, too!” said Subaru.

“As long as we have chaperones, they said,” said MiA. “Meaning, probably, one of the guards.”

“I’d like a tour of this whole palace, too,” said Hiyori. “The storeroom of the crown jewels, especially. I’d like to just be able to tell my friends that I touched the crown of King Yoshiki” – the legendary founder of their nation.

“Like they’d let you touch it,” MiA said. “It’s probably got 20 round-the-clock guards.”

“It’s right around the corner from here,” Ruiza said. “The storeroom, I mean.”

“How do you know that?” MiA said.

“I studied the maps they gave us,” Ruiza nodded in the direction of a door at the far end of the room. “It should be right through there.”

Subaru leaned over and whispered to MiA, “Do you think we could sneak out and see them?”

MiA bit his lip, thoughtfully. “We might get in trouble,” he whispered back.

“We’ll just peek in and come back here,” Subaru said. He turned toward the other two – but they were engaged in conversation with a newcomer who had approached their table, a sweet-faced boy whose rosette announced that he was Kana of Codomo Dragon.

Subaru remembered that Hiyori had wanted to meet the representative of that district. Well, those two were going to be occupied for a moment . . .

“Let’s go now,” Subaru whispered to MiA, “while the staff is busy.”

They got up from their table, and quickly, quietly moved toward the door that Ruiza had indicated. They looked around, and when they saw the coast was clear, they snuck through it and into a stone corridor.

Without saying a word, they walked toward an archway at the end of the hall. Already, they could see a soft light glowing off polished metal and stone, telling them that they were at their goal . . .

And a voice behind them yelled, “What are you doing here?”

Crap. Oh, crap, they were busted. They both turned around, slowly, to see a burly, scowling guard.

“We . . . we were looking for a men’s room?” Subaru said, feebly.

“Likely story,” the guard growled. “This is a RESTRICTED area! Nobody is allowed here without a member of the Royal Family present! And since the two of you came here without permission, this is EXPRESS grounds for IMMEDIATE expulsion from the Culling! Now, I’m escorting both of you out of here right now, and . . .”

“It’s okay,” said a voice behind the guard. “They’re with me.”

Subaru and MiA exchanged a look. Who was that? It wasn’t Yo-ka’s voice. But there was the guard, bowing and stepping out of the way, saying, “I beg your pardon, Your Highness.”

There stood a young man in a similar military uniform as Yo-ka’s, every bit as beautiful, though his hair and eyes were darker. “Sorry I’m late,” he said casually to the two of them. “Come on, I’ll show you what I was talking about.” He took hold of Subaru’s arm with one hand, MiA’s with the other, and began walking with them toward the royal jewels storeroom.

Once the guard had left, the newcomer said, “Be careful from now on, okay, guys? I don’t want to see any of you get thrown out.”

“Thank you for helping us,” MiA said, bowing low, and Subaru bowed as well. “I’m MiA of Mejibray, this is Subaru of Royz.”

“Hi,” Subaru said from deep within the bow.

“I’m Toya,” the newcomer said. “Okay, officially His Highness Prince Toya of Charlotte, but the hell with that. Just call me Toya.”

“Why were you in the hall, Toya?” Subaru said. “Weren’t you having dinner with your parents and brother?”

“Oh, no, the three of them took dinner in my parents’ chambers,” Toya said. “They let me eat in the room with the candidates. They put me at the table with the most boring guys in the place, though – so I was sneaking out. So what were YOU doing in the hall?”

“We wanted to see the jewels,” Subaru said, sheepishly.

“Well, then, I might as well show them to you, right?” said Toya. He led them through the archway. “This is the stuff my parents wear on formal occasions,” he said, gesturing toward a pair of elaborate crowns. “I mean, really formal. They’ll be wearing them when my brother picks his Pledge.”

“They’re gorgeous,” Subaru said, leaning over. “But they look heavy.”

“Heavy as hell,” Toya said. “Makes me glad I’m second in line for the throne, it means I’ll never have to wear it.”

“What’s this big staff?” MiA said, gesturing toward a long rod of gold encrusted with jewels.

“It’s for royal proclamations,” Toya said. “Supposedly, a law isn’t official until my father gets on the balcony carrying that thing, holds it in the air and yells at the top of his lungs that the law is passed. Yeah, I don’t understand it, either.”

They moved over to a case carrying a row of wide, bejeweled collars – like the ones pharaohs wore in Egyptian paintings. The collar at the center was the biggest and most sparkly of all, lined with gems in the royal colors – purple and amber – as well as a generous selection of diamonds.

“What’s this?” Subaru said.

“That’s what you guys are competing for,” said Toya. “It’s the Pledge Collar of the Crown Prince. When my brother picks the one he’s going to be pledged to, that’s going to be draped around the guy’s neck and shoulders, and he’ll wear it every time he makes an official public appearance. At least until they get engaged.”

“It’s gorgeous,” MiA said.

“It had better be, with all this fuss over it,” said Toya. “They have them for other royal children, too. See, that one is mine.” He pointed to a smaller collar with red and blue stones. “Those are the colors of the district of Charlotte. The second prince traditionally becomes governor of that when he gets married. I already have a palace there. I go there when I want to get away from this place.”

“Oh, are you having a Culling, too?” Subaru said.

“Unfortunately,” Toya said. “Personally? I think the whole business is bullshit. We should be allowed to choose who we want to be with like anyone else – but my father says we have to ‘respect tradition.’” He made air quotes with his hands. “So, yeah, my father is sending me on the road with you guys so I can ‘learn respect for the process.’” He made the air quotes again.

“Why are there so many collars?” MiA said, looking down the line.

“There’s ten,” Toya said. “Royal families used to be a lot bigger before birth control. My parents stopped at three. My sister never used a collar, she and her husband just bypassed all this crap and eloped. She’s the smartest one out of all of us.” He turned toward his two guests. “So, what are a couple of nice guys like you doing in a place like this?”

“You mean, why are we in the competition?” MiA said. “My parents wanted me to do it.”

“I wanted to travel,” Subaru said. “I haven’t been anywhere. I at least wanted to see the capital.”

“Well, it’s . . .a city,” Toya said. “You’ll enjoy Lycaon a lot more, that’s the first palace we’re going to. It’s a beach resort. Lots of cool bars, nice shopping, huge waves . . .”

Subaru suddenly turned toward him, eyes alight. “Did you say huge waves?”

“Yep. Some of the biggest ones I’ve ever seen outside of Charlotte.”

“I’m a surfer!” Subaru said. “I want to ride those huge waves!” He looked over at MiA. “Did you hear that?”

“You surf?” Toya said. “I want to learn to do that. My father said it’s” – and he made the air quotes again – “Not a fitting hobby for a prince.”

“I can teach you!” Subaru said – and then, added, quietly, “If I get to go to Lycaon, that is.”

“Well, then, if you make it? You’ve got a deal,” Toya said. “And I’d better get you back to the dining room before the Earl kicks ALL our butts.”

“Thank you again for showing us the jewels,” MiA said, bowing.

“It’s my pleasure,” Toya said. “And it was my pleasure meeting you, too. Next time they let me in your dining room, I’m going to sit with you guys.”

He took the two by the arms again, and they walked through the halls together, slipping back in the door – just as the Earl was getting up to make the final announcements for the evening.

“Remember, gentlemen, be in this room at eight in the morning for breakfast,” he said. “You will find an envelope in your rooms that has your assignment for your interview with His Highness. Two hours before your scheduled interview, staff will be at your rooms to help you prepare for it. Review your handbooks to see where you can go on the grounds – if you want to go into town, contact a member of the staff. And so, good night, gentlemen, and thank you.”

Ruiza and Hiyori rushed over to MiA and Subaru. “Where did you go?” said Hiyori.

“We’ll tell you later,” Subaru said. He didn’t feel comfortable telling them with the staff around.

As they walked back toward their rooms, he whispered to MiA, “Can you believe it? If I go to the second round, it’s a place with fantastic waves . . .”

“I’ll take your picture on the wave,” MiA said. “You can show your friends back home.”

Subaru was suddenly very anxious about making the next round. When he came here, it was enough to see the palace. Now, it was important to him that he impress Yo-ka at the interview, and move on. He wanted to experience those waves.

Not to mention that he wanted to see Yo-ka again, and learn more about him. And . . . he wanted to see Toya again, too.

* * *

Subaru's interview was scheduled for three days after the cocktail party, in the afternoon. “You're going before I am,” MiA said over breakfast the next morning. “Mine is the morning after yours.”

“What do you think will happen?” Subaru said.

“Nobody knows,” said MiA. “And the people who go first are forbidden from telling everyone else, so we're not going to find out that way.”

The two of them went out to the beach after their breakfast was over, MiA bringing a book, Subaru his surfboard. “What is it you're reading?” Subaru said.

“It's a space adventure series called Star Wars,” MiA said. “They're my favorite books in the world.” He found himself a comfortable spot on the sand. “And this really is a nice place for reading.”

A couple of the other candidates walked by – one of them, Subaru recognized, was from one of the higher districts. “Well, HE's making the most of being here while he can,” the higher-class one said. “He's one and done.”

“Hey, the prince may shock everyone and move him on,” sad the second.

“Are you kidding?” said the high-class man. “He's from Royz. Last time anyone from Royz was in the palace, it was as the royal shoe shiner.” Both of them laughed.

MiA reached out and put a hand on Subaru's arm. “I'm sorry you have to listen to that kind of thing,” he said.

“It's okay,” Subaru said – although it wasn't. Those kind of words still hurt.

“I want him to pick you just so I can see their faces,” MiA said. “Especially if you move on and they don't.”

“MiA,” Subaru said, putting his surfboard down and sitting next to his friend, “what's it like where you live?”

“In Mejibray?” MiA said. “Pleasant enough, I guess. It's one of the artier middle-class districts – there's a lot of people with crafts and designing businesses. A couple of people from Mejibray have gone on to be designers to the rich and famous. It's what Koichi wants to do.”

“That's your friend?” Subaru said.

MiA nodded. “He really has original ideas. He said the last thing in the world he wants to do is work like anyone else's. He wants people to look at anything he's designed and say instantly, 'That's a Koichi.'”

“The outfit he designed for you for the party was sure original,” Subaru said.

“He's got some interesting ideas about life, too,” MiA said. “He said that as soon as you're born, the hourglass of your life starts running out – so you have to grab every grain of sand and make them count.”

“Is that how you feel about life, too?” Subaru said.

MiA looked out to the ocean. “I just feel that while we're on this planet, we need to treat everyone with respect, you know? We need to see the beauty and humanity in everyone. We're all the same, no matter where we're from or what we do.” He smiled at Subaru. “That makes me sound weird, doesn't it?”

“No, it doesn't,” Subaru said. “It makes you sound like a truly good person.” (If he says that to the prince, Subaru thought, he's guaranteed making it to the next round).

As he headed off to the water with his board, he found himself wondering if he was ever going to meet MiA's Koichi. Did former candidates remain friends after their Culling was over? Or did friendships get torn apart by jealousy?

If it was the latter, Subaru didn't want to know.

* * *

Time passed more quickly than Subaru thought it would on the way to his interview. He visited the royal library, he tried out the local waves (a bit bigger than at home), he and MiA hung out with Ruiza and Hiyori and compared stories from their hometowns. Hiyori, as it turned out, was part of a traditional dance troupe – but he really wanted to form a comedy group.

“That's my dream,” he said, “to be part of one of those groups that goes around performing funny skits. I've even got a name for the group – My Dragon. See, that's the name of my district, Kiryu, in English.”

Ruiza wrote poetry in his spare time when he wasn't working as a chemist in a perfume company. “You develop scents?” Subaru said.

“It's a very complicated thing,” Ruiza said. “You have to think about how every oil you put in there is going to interact with every other oil. Chemical structures have a very big effect on these things. You put together two things you think will smell great, and they smell like used motor oil.”

“That's not something you want to give to the prince,” Hiyori said. “Unless, of course, he has a motor oil fetish. Hey, I've heard of weirder things.”

When the morning of the interview arrived, Subaru went back to his room after breakfast – and sure enough, the stylists and tailors were there shortly afterward, making a fuss over him.

“I have SUCH a lovely look in mind for you if you're one of the final two,” the tailor said as he handed Subaru a pair of black pants, a black ruffled shirt and a white bolero jacket. “You won't believe your eyes when you see it.”

“I probably won't,” Subaru said. “But thanks for thinking of me, anyway!”

“My boy, never say never,” the tailor said. “The prince isn't your normal monarch. He could choose anyone!”

Finally, the appointed hour arrived, and one of the staffers came to Subaru's room to fetch him. “Subaru of Royz,” he said, “come with me.”

Subaru followed the man through a series of corridors, amazed that the palace had so many twists and turns. How, he wondered, did anyone manage to work here and not get lost?

“In this room, sir,” the guard said, bowing and opening the door. Subaru took a deep breath, and walked in.

Try not to think about what's riding on this, he thought. Try not to think about the big waves in Lycaon. Just be yourself.

The room was a small conference room, with a short table surrounded by half a dozen chairs. Yo-ka was seated at the far end of the table, in another military uniform. He got up when Subaru entered the room and bowed. “Hello again, Subaru of Royz,” he said.

“Hello, Your High-I mean, Yo-ka,” Subaru said. “How are you today?”

“The more important question is, how are YOU today?” Yo-ka said, sitting behind the table. “Are you enjoying yourself at the palace?”

“Oh, very much so, sir,” Subaru said. “You have a beautiful garden, and beach, and library, and . . . well, everything!”

“Subaru,” Yo-ka said, “I'm going to ask you some questions. Yes, they're kind of standard, but it's to help me get a grasp on who you are and where you're coming from, okay?”

“Sure,” Subaru said. “Go ahead!”

“All right,” Yo-ka said. “First of all, what would you say your dream job would be?”

“I want to work on one of the merchant ships,” Subaru said. “You know, the ones that go all around the country carrying goods on them? Yeah, I want to do that.”

“And why is that?” said Yo-ka.

“Because I want to see the whole country,” Subaru said. “I'm just curious about things, that's all. And being on a merchant ship . . . well, it's the only way someone where I'm from can get around.”

Yo-ka leaned back in his chair. “Subaru . . . imagine the brakes were taken off you. Imagine you didn't have the restrictions of someone who lived where you do, and you really could do anything. Now what would you say to my question?”

Subaru thought a moment, and then he said, “I'd be an ambassador. Or a diplomat. One of those people that travels around to other countries representing Veekay to the rest of the world. That would allow me not only to travel, but to do something helpful, you know? It would be nice to enjoy yourself and help other people at the same time.”

Yo-ka nodded. “It's important to you to help?”

“More it's important for people to be happy,” Subaru said.

“Next question,” Yo-ka said. “I hand you a blank check and say you can use it to buy one selfish, indulgent item for yourself, price no object. What do you buy?”

“Oh, that's easy,” Subaru said. “A car. With a lot of storage in the back.”

“And why is that?” said Yo-ka.

“So I can bring myself and my friends to the beach – with our surboards,” Subaru said. “It's important that I be able to drive my friends, too. I mean, we've been together our whole lives, and if I came into good fortune, I'd want to share it with them.”

“Okay, last question,” Yo-ka said. “What has been your favorite thing about being at the palace so far?”

“Oh, there's been a lot of things,” Subaru said. “The scenery is beautiful, the food is better than any I've ever had, the cocktail party the first night was terrific – but I'd say my favorite thing has been the people I've met so far. Well, most of them. Some people haven't been so nice – the ones who think that someone who comes from the place I do doesn't belong here. But others have been terrific. And some . . .”

An image flashed through Subaru's mind of the night of the cocktail party of Toya coming to their rescue, being nice to them, showing them the crown jewels, and treating him as an equal the whole time – despite knowing where he was from.

“Some have gone above and beyond,” Subaru said. “They've really made me feel like I belong here.”

“You do belong here,” Yo-ka said. “You have as much right to be here as anyone else in this . . . this . . .”

Subaru looked puzzled. “Yo-ka?”

“Sorry, I don't know what to call it,” Yo-ka said. “I don't like the term Culling. It sounds like a heard of animals. I don't like calling it a competition, either. This isn't a game. This is something with the potential to affect lives. Maybe too much potential. It's . . .” He sighed. “Never mind.”

Subaru gave him a little smile. “Maybe call it a gathering?”

“A gathering works, Subaru,” Yo-ka said. “But you do have a right to be here. Never forget that.” He stood up. “And I think we've come to the end of our interview.”

“So soon?” Subaru said.

“It's a set list of questions, what can I say?” Yo-ka said. “But maybe we'll have more time to talk, later . . . if you move on,” he added, quickly.

Subaru stood up and bowed. “It has been a pleasure, Yo-ka,” he said.

“No,” Yo-ka said. “The pleasure has been all mine. I'll see you later, Subaru.”

He escorted the boy to the door, and Subaru went out into the hall, leaning against the wall, taking a deep breath.

He'd been on automatic pilot that whole time. He just heard the questions and said the first thing that popped into his head. He just hoped he didn't say anything foolish, or stupid, or nonsensical babble.

And then, there was Yo-ka. He seemed so formal when asking the official questions, but then at the end, talking about how he didn't like the terms for Culling . . .

He seemed so natural, Subaru thought. So casual. I just wonder what he'll be like in a date scenario, when it's just him and one other person, no formal protocol . . .

And he wondered if he'd ever get a chance to find that out.

“Subaru-san?” the guard next to him said. “You need to go back to your own quarters. The prince will be receiving another interview.”

Subaru nodded, and followed the guard down the hall.

* * *

It was the last night of the week. Before they went to bed, the candidates had turned in their rosettes, to be returned to them the next morning – with a ribbon attached if they were moving on.

Yo-ka was sitting in his office with a pile of notes and a stack of rosettes and ribbons. Now it was decision time. He had to make his first cut, and send five men home.

He shuffled the piles in front of him, putting each note into “yes,” “no” and “maybe” piles. Some were easy. MiA? Definite yes. The more Yo-ka talked to him, the more he was intrigued. Hiyori? Another no-brainer. As soon as he revealed in his interview that his dream job was comedy troupe member, he made the cut.

And then, there was Yuuki of Lycaon . . .

Yo-ka held the paper in his hand, thinking about their interview. Yuuki had been straightforward and candid – in a way that you didn't expect the son of a heavily moneyed family to be. He said his dream job was “Exactly what I'm doing now. I have a cabaret act.”

“Why did you decide to do that?” Yo-ka said.

“Partly because I'm a natural exhibitionist. Partly because I knew it would piss my father off. Mostly because I love the feeling of singing in front of an audience and connecting with them. It's a strange sort of bond, isn't it? In a way, it's intimate, because you're baring your soul to them. But at the same time, it's distant – because they will never know you one-on-one. They'll only know what you choose to reveal.”

Yuuki was, Yo-ka thought, emphatically determined to be himself in a social environment that discouraged individuality, that tried to fit everyone into a one-size-fits-all aristocracy box. That was one hell of a strong pull.

Especially since it fit how Yo-ka saw himself. Yuuki went emphatically into the “yes” pile.

He picked up the next paper. Subaru of Royz – sweet, natural, unspoiled, viewing the world with genuine wonder. He wanted nothing more than a car he could drive his friends around with. He was the antithesis of the jaded, cynical people Yo-ka had known for most of his life . . . like the sons of MOST of the rich and privileged.

He put Subaru's notes in the “yes” pile – and then looked at the next sheet. It was a name he recognized very well – one he had known even before the man came here. And that man . . he just wasn’t feeling it. There was no connection, no chance of one.

Yo-ka looked at the pile of ribbons and rosettes. He'd asked to put the ribbons on himself – to make sure that his wishes were carried out and that his father, and his father's cronies, didn't tamper with the results.

Good thing, Yo-ka thought, because I'm about to make some decisions my father won't like.

* * *

Subaru was awakened the next morning by a knock on his door. He got up, yawning and stretching. It was quarter after 6 – a good half-hour before his alarm was set to go off.

He stumbled to the door, blinking blearily, and opened it – to see a guard handing him an oblong velvet box with a bow. “Your rosette, sir,” he said.

And then, Subaru realized the significance of what was about to happen. He was about to find out if he made the first cut. He clutched the lid, thinking about what the old man said, about what those jerks on the beach said, about people from Royz always being “one and done.”

At least if it doesn't work out, he thought, I got to see the palace, and meet nice people, and wear great clothes, and . . .

He remembered, again, being shown the crown jewels by Toya. I haven't seen him since that night, he thought. If I have to leave, will they let me see him and thank him again for helping us?

Slowly, Subaru pulled the lid back, not breathing . . .

There was his rosette, with a blue strip of ribbon hanging from it.

And suddenly, it hit him. He'd done it! He'd made the first cut! He wasn't “one and done!”

“YES!” he shouted, leaping in the air, punching his fist upward. And then, he realized there were people who might not have received their rosettes yet, and were still sleeping, so he whispered, “Sorry!” to whoever might be listening, shut the door and leaned against it.

He was going to Lycaon. He was going to ride the big waves, and get to know Yo-ka more, and spend more time with MiA and his other new friends, and see Toya again. It was suddenly the best day of his life.

* * *

The candidates had all been told to pack the night before, because they would be leaving the palace in the morning, one way or the other. Included in the rosette boxes of the fortunate were notes telling them to put their suitcases in the front hall before going to breakfast, so they could be transported to their next destination.

Subaru added his to the pile, not noticing or caring that his beat-up, shabby, hand-me-down suitcase looked so out-of-place next to the designer cases surrounding it. He put his surfbord next to it, labeled with his name.

“Subaru!” called a voice behind him. “You made it!”

He turned around and saw Ruiza, who had another guy with him – one that he hadn't seen before. “Yes!” Subaru said. “I'm in! I'm so excited!” He bowed to the newcomer. “I'm Subaru of Royz, by the way.”

“Yes, I know,” said the newcomer.

“You do?” Subaru said, looking baffled.

“It's on your rosette, remember?”

“Oh, yeah!” Subaru said, looking embarrassed. He'd forgotten that detail. “And you're . . . Hiro of Fest Vainqueur?”

“Yep!” said Hiro. “Ruiza and I were just talking over there.”

“He had some interesting news,” Ruiza said. “Real interesting. Remember how we were talking about the betting pools – about how Yuuki of Lycaon and Teru of Versailles were the favorites?”

“Yes?” Subaru said.

“Well,” said Hiro, “it seems that Teru didn't make the first cut.”

Subaru looked shocked. “Are you serious?” he said.

“Oh, yeah,” Hiro said. “He had the room next door to mine- well, actually, it was a suite. His father was staying with him this week - he'd been at the party the first night." Teru's father, the Duke of Versailles, was a powerful man indeed - just a couple of steps below royalty himself.

"Well," Hiro continued, "right after I got my rosette, I heard the father out in the hall yelling at the guard, 'You gave my son the wrong one! This has to be a mistake!' And the guard assured him it was the right rosette, he'd been cut. The father demanded to speak to the prince, he was told that decisions were final. And then, a few minutes later, the father stormed out of the palace. He was just about dragging the poor boy behind him.”

Subaru's jaw nearly dropped. “Wow,” he said.

“Wow is right,” Ruiza said. “I nearly fell on the floor when I heard. The people who bet on him must be throwing themselves off cliffs now.”

“How would they know?” Subaru said.

“Oh, the Culling makes the news,” Hiro said. “The results are going to be broadcast on all the radio stations this morning – especially if their local guy made the cut. When the king's younger brother got married, a woman from Fest made it to the final four, and my dad said everyone was glued to their radios every week to see if she'd advanced again.”

Subaru was quiet. They're hearing about this back in Royz, he thought. He could just imagine his friends getting the news – and breaking out into wild celebrations. Heck, Kuina might even buy a round of drinks for everyone in the bar tonight – and then regret it when he had no money the next day.

He just wondered, though, what the royal family thought of Yo-ka's first choice.

* * *

Yo-ka and Toya were taking their breakfast in Yo-ka's suite when their father stormed in, looking outraged.

“YO-KA!” he said. “What. Is. The. MEANING of this?”

“Of what, Father?” Yo-ka said, calmly. “Everything is in order. The dismissed candidates have left the palace. The ones who are moving on are having breakfast and getting ready to leave.”

“You know DAMN well what I mean!” his father said. “You kept a GUTTERSNIPE from Royz and let the candidate from Versailles go! FROM VERSAILLES!”

“Yes,” Yo-ka said, still calm. “Because Subaru is a sweet man that I want to get to know, and Teru was nice, and said all the right things, but he didn't do it for me.”

“Young man,” the king bellowed, “I will let you know that the representative of Versailles has ALWAYS at least made the final four. ALWAYS. Going back to the time of King Atsushi! King Sugizo! Even King YOSHIKI!”

“King Yoshiki didn't have a Culling,” Toya said, bluntly. “They weren't invented until . . .”

“YOU keep quiet!” the king shouted. “Versailles has always been the right hand of the palace. Their nobility is deeply ingrained in the royal family – there have been COUNTLESS royal consorts from there. Countless! To cut Teru is a HUGE insult to the city, and its governor, and . . .”

“I am NOT choosing candidates based on political history!” Yo-ka said, suddenly standing up. “The purpose of a Culling is supposed to be so I can find a mate I'm compatible with, isn't it? And I chose the men I have the potential to be compatible with. If I choose someone based on political alliance, we might as well go back to the days of arranged marriages!”

“You are DAMN lucky I don't cancel this whole thing and make an arranged marriage for you! With a woman! The only reason I didn't is the press office had already sent the news to every radio station in the country, so now EVERYONE knows about your bad judgement!”

“His HONEST judgement, you mean?” Toya said.

“One more word out of you, and you WILL be shipped off to an arranged marriage!” the king shouted at his younger son.

“Father, let me ask you one question,” Yo-ka said. “Just one. When you had your Culling, how far did the representative of Versailles get?”

“She was third,” the king said.

“And did you advance her because you truly cared for her? Because you enjoyed her company? Or because she was from Versailles?”

The king was suddenly silent. He stood there, huffing and puffing, rubbing the back of his head. Toya snickered behind his hand.

“You just THINK about your choices for the rest of this process, Yo-ka,” said the king. “And choose WISELY!” He stormed out of the room.

Once he was gone, Toya held up his hand to his brother for a high-five. “You burned him like old garbage,” he said.

“I'm sorry,” Yo-ka said. “He can force me to go through this farce, but he can't force me to keep someone I'm not feeling it for just because of where he's from. That's going too far.”

“Is it really a farce now, though?” Toya said. “You did meet a few promising guys, didn't you?”

“I surprised myself, yes,” said Yo-ka. “I actually think I might get something out of this.”

“Any names you can name?” Toya went back to his coffee. “Oh, hell, it's cold! That blowhard sucked all the hot air out of the room!”

“You know I'm not supposed to say anything at this stage,” Yo-ka said, pouring into his brother's cup from the pot. “But I'll tell you one thing – I wanted to punch him when he called Subaru a guttersnipe. I'm not judging anyone by where they're from – just who they are.”

“I wanted to punch him, too,” Toya said, adding cream and sugar to his rewarmed coffee. “He doesn't deserve that.”

“You know Subaru?” Yo-ka said, surprised.

“Met him the first night, remember? They let me eat with the candidates.” He wasn't going to say anything about Subaru's illicit adventure, just in case his father had spies listening. He'd tell Yo-ka about that once they were away from the palace.

“Oh, I forgot about that,” Yo-ka said. “Well, you can eat with them every night once we're on the road – and away from Father.”

“It will be my pleasure,” Toya said.

“Eating with the candidates?” Yo-ka said. “Or being away from Father?”

“Both.”

They went back to their breakfast. They, like the candidates, had to get ready to travel.


	2. Chapter 2 - The City of Lycaon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the second round of The Culling, Subaru begins giving Toya surfing lessons and goes on his first date with Yo-ka – but when it comes time for the group to move on to their third destination, unexpected complications arise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tent city that Subaru sees on the way to the palace is based on reality – there is a row of such structures on Pilgrim’s Pathway in Ocean Grove, NJ. Like in the story, they were originally constructed as a religious retreat and are now vacation homes.

Subaru stepped off the train and looked around him. The first thing he noticed was he could smell the salt air immediately, the way he could when the wind was blowing a certain direction back home. The second thing was the train station was designed elegantly, with lots of latticework – the kind of design commonly referred to as “gingerbread house.”

“Does everything here look like this?” he asked his friends.

“I've only seen it in pictures,” said MiA. “But yes, the pictures had a lot of fancy buildings.”

The Earl approached their group. “I trust you gentlemen had a pleasant trip?”

“Given that none of us have ever traveled by private train before?” Hiyori said. “Oh, yes.”

“Good. You will go to that fleet of cars over there, which will take you to the palace. Staff will show you to your rooms, and there will be a card there listing your date schedule. Four men have been chosen at random to have individual dates with the prince this round. The rest will be organized into two group dates, during which there will be opportunities for one-on-one time with His Highness. There will be one date each day. If you are chosen for an individual date, the prince may present you with your ribbon for the week at the end if he is pleased with you, meaning you have automatic immunity from elimination.”

“What about when you aren't on dates? What do we do then?” said MiA.

“Same thing as the main palace,” said the Earl. “You will receive a guide telling you which areas you have the run of and which are restricted, and you can only go into town with chaperones. I can tell you that you have more of a run of the place than you did at the main palace.” He bowed. “Good day, gentlemen.”

When he left, Subaru said, slowly, “So . . . if the prince isn't pleased with you on a one-on-one date, can he eliminate you on the spot, too?”

“I guess that's how it works,” said Ruiza. “Wow. I'd hate for that to happen.”

“Makes me wonder if I want a one-on-one date,” Hiyori said as they made their way to the cars.

Subaru nearly leaned out the window as they drove to the new palace. Sure enough, the buildings in Lycaon were as elaborate as the train station was. As they turned down one street, he saw a row of small structures that had wooden bottoms, but the tops of them were literally white tents. “What's that?” he said.

“It's called the Tent City,” the driver said. “It was built as a retreat for a religious community years ago. It's vacation homes now.”

“Do they have indoor plumbing?” said Ruiza.

“Everything in the tents is the same as a little cottage,” said the driver. “Except the roof. If it's a nice night, the residents can even pull part of the roof back and sleep under the stars.”

“I'd like that,” Subaru said, looking back at the tents. He imagined they didn't come cheap, either. How strange that he was finding himself dreaming about luxuries like that, when back home, he was just content with what he had.

I can't get too used to this, he thought. I don't know how long this will last. I'm lucky to have made it this far.

Once they got to the palace, they were given their room keys. As Subaru headed toward his, a voice behind him called his name. He turned around, and saw . . .

“Toya!” he said. “You did come along with us!”

“The sooner I got away from the main palace, the better,” he said. “How have you been since I saw you last?”

“Terrific,” Subaru said. “I am so looking forward to the waves here!”

“Still going to keep your promise to teach me to surf?” Toya said.

“Of course!” Subaru said – before dropping his voice. “You're allowed to do that, right? I mean, I don't want to get you in trouble. I know your brother isn't allowed to see us outside dates.”

“This isn't my Culling,” Toya said. “I'm here as an observer. I haven't got any restrictions other than not hitting on the candidates – especially now that we’re away from my father.”

“I'm glad!” Subaru said. “I need to find out my schedule, but will I see you in the dining hall tonight? I can let you know when I'm free then.”

“You will,” Toya said. “I'm looking forward to it, Subaru.”

“So am I,” Subaru said. “Later!”

He unlocked his door and went into the room, which was a bit smaller than his rooms at the main palace, but you could probably still fit his house back in Royz into it. He went over to the desk, where an envelope was propped up. He tore it open and pulled out a card, then gasped.

He'd been chosen for a one-on-one date, three days from now.

Subaru sank down in the chair. He was happy . . . but also, a bit scared. He remembered the conversation back at the train station – what if he were eliminated on the spot? How humiliating would that be?

Well, he couldn't think about that. He just had to think that he was going to have a good time with the prince, and they were going to get to know each other, and . . .

There was a second piece of paper in the envelope. It was a note saying, “CONFIDENTIAL TO SUBARU OF ROYZ – The palace has allotted you a clothing budget in order to procure clothing and a suitcase suitable for one who is a candidate for the prince's hand. Please see Earl Ohara and please keep this in strictest confidence.”

Subaru shook his head in disbelief. They must have seen the state of my suitcase and the clothes I wore here and been embarrassed, he thought. He knew very well he was the only person from the Lower Districts who had survived the first elimination – heck, one of the Lower Districts hadn't even bothered to send a candidate to the palace, elimination was so certain.

If nothing else, he'd be going home with a new wardrobe. But he increasingly didn't want to think about going home.

He was starting to get very used to this way of life. It would be very, very hard to go back.

* * *

That night at dinner, Subaru sat down at a table for six with his four friends, plus Hiro. “So what did you get for a date assignment?” Hiyori said. “I got the group date on the last day.”

“I got the same as you,” MiA said.

“Group date the day before,” Hiro said. “Damn. I can’t hang with you guys.”

“You can hang with me!” Ruiza said. “I'm on that one, too. Which one did you get, Subaru?”

Subaru looked confused. “I'm the only one of us that got a solo date?”

“You got a solo?” Ruiza said. “He must really like you!”

“It was random,” Subaru said, quickly. “Remember?”

“Who got the other three solos, I wonder?” said MiA – just as a familiar figure approached the table.

“Is this seat taken?” Toya said.

“Toya!” Subaru said.

“Hello, Toya-sama,” MiA said, bowing respectfully. “It's not taken.”

“I said you can just call me Toya,” he said, sitting down with them. “And that goes for the rest of you, too.”

Hiyori and Ruiza blinked at each other. “You two KNOW him?” Hiyori said.

“Um, yeah, remember when we disappeared at dinner the first night?” Subaru said. “We kind of, um, snuck off to see the crown jewels. And we kind of got caught.”

“He saved us,” MiA said.

“And you ALL know me now,” Toya said. “You're . . . no, wait, I'm not going to read your rosette, let me see if I can remember . . . Hiroki, right?”

“Close – Hiro of Fest Vainqueur. And that's Ruiza of D, and Hiyori of Kiryu.”

“And I'm Toya of Wherever-We-Happen-To-Be-Right-Now,” he said. “You guys are really going to enjoy the shiizakana these chefs make, that's usually the best part of the meal.” He leaned over and whispered, “But I can also tell you where you can get great ten don in town!”

“We can only go into town with a chaperone, remember?” Ruiza said.

“Well, the guards at this palace are less uptight than the ones at the main one,” he said. “They like the ten don, too.”

“How come you're such a regular guy?” said Hiro.

“Hiro!” said Ruiza.

“Well, I mean, he seems so . . . cool. Not formal at all.”

“It's okay,” Toya said. “It's because I AM a regular guy. I'm a regular guy who just happened to be born into a certain family. And I can be casual now because this isn't my Culling. So I can just hang out.”

“How's your brother handling all this?” MiA said.

“Classified information,” Toya said. “I'm not allowed to talk about that.”

“Sorry,” MiA said.

“No, it's all right,” Toya said. “I'm normally not one to obey the rules by the letter, but that one I'm obeying, for his sake. He really is a great guy – and I'm not just saying that because he's my brother.” He looked around at the group. “But enough about me. Let's talk about you guys, okay? So, what did you do after the first night?”

Subaru looked around at the other people at the table. I'm happy, he thought. I'm really happy right now. I wish my friends back home could meet these people, including Toya. They'd really like them.

* * *

When the meal was finished, Subaru pulled Toya aside and said, “I've got the fourth individual date. I'm free until then. When do you want me to start teaching you surfing?”

“When are you having your shopping trip?” Toya said.

“You know about that?” Subaru said.

“You're forgetting I'm an insider in these kind of things,” the prince said.

“I haven't scheduled it yet,” Subaru said. “Maybe tomorrow?”

“Then we'll meet up the day after,” Toya replied. “I'll be seeing you around this place, anyway. Although I do have business to attend to while I'm here. That's the main job of the second prince – being the royal family's ambassador. I have to touch base with the governor and the local officials and make sure everything's cool.”

“So you travel around a lot?”

“Yeah, I go through times when I'm bouncing from palace to palace. That's how I come to know where the best shopping and food are in every city. When we get to Versailles, I'll tell you where the best ikazaya is. They have great yakitori.”

“It sounds like you have a fabulous life,” Subaru said.

“Fabulous until my father gets involved,” Toya grumbled.

“Excuse me?” said Subaru.

“Never mind,” Toya said. “I'll see you later, okay?”

Toya headed for the royal offices in the palace. He was just glad that Subaru hadn't caught his little slip-up. He was keeping it a secret that he was the one who requested Subaru's clothing allowance. He wanted the boy to look just as good as the ones from wealthier districts – especially after hearing his father call him a “guttersnipe.”

After all, he deserved it.

* * *

Subaru was awakened the next day by a stylist pounding on his door. “Suuubaru-san!” the man said. “Subaru of Royz! Be ready to go right after breakfast!”

“Go where?” he murmured, stumbling out of bed.

“Shopping, of course! I've been assigned to take you on your trip!”

So much for secrecy, Subaru thought. This guy is bellowing loud enough for the whole palace to hear. “I'll be ready right afterward,” he said, stumbling toward the bathroom.

“Splendid!” the man said. “Meet me at the doorway right after you eat!”

Even though he was sworn to secrecy, Subaru told MiA what was happening, in a whisper, when they were on their way to breakfast – because Subaru couldn't come up with a credible excuse as to why he was going to disappear for most of the day. “Just don't tell anyone, okay?”

“I won't,” MiA said. “I'll just go to the library. I think the other two want to play tennis or badminton or something like that.”

Six hours later, Subaru was sneaking back into the palace – and a virtual army of guards was walking behind him, bearing bags, packages and a rather nice suitcase.

Subaru's guide on the trip had insisted he replace everything he'd brought – down to his socks and underwear. He had fancy clothes, casual clothes, a couple of yukatas, and even a couple of new pairs of board shorts for surfing.

In his hand, he carried a single bag from the sporting goods department – something he insisted on buying himself, with the little bit of money he'd brought with him. He knew he was going to need it in the near future.

He appeared at dinner that night wearing a new outfit, and the other regular occupants of his table were impressed. “Whoa!” Ruiza said. “Subaru, you look good! Where did that come from?”

Whoops. Well, did he expect that going from the kind of clothes one wore back home to the ones he was wearing now would go unnoticed? “I, um, went into town . . .”

“The people back in his hometown took up a collection for him,” MiA said, smoothly. “They wired him the money today.”

“Really?” Ruiza said. “That's cool!”

“Wish I could get the people back in Kiryu to do that for me,” Hiyori said.

Subaru looked over at his friend with gratitude. He'd never been a good liar. MiA had taken that heat off him.

As he was leaving the dining room, Toya approached him in the hall. “Hi!” he said. “Sorry I couldn't eat with you guys tonight. I got caught up with business.”

“That's okay,” Subaru said. He was actually surprised that Toya was apologizing for that. “Do we still want to meet up tomorrow for your lesson?”

“That's why I wanted to make sure the business was done,” he said. “I wanted to leave tomorrow free.”

“All right!” Subaru said. “Meet me at the entrance to the park” - he pointed to an area in back of the palace – “after breakfast, okay? Oh, and I'm going to be wearing a T-shirt and board shorts, but any kind of swimsuit will do.”

“The park?” Toya said. “Don't you want to meet on the beach?”

“You'll see!” Subaru said. “See you tomorrow!”

He headed back to his room – he had a lot of sorting and unpacking to do. Except when he got there, he saw the staff had done the sorting and unpacking for him – and hauled away his old suitcase and clothing. Good thing he'd told his guide what he'd planned on keeping.

I don't know if I'm ever going to fully get used to this part, he thought – having servants do things for me. He was going to have to remember that when he was back in Royz, if you as much as dropped a piece of garbage, you were expected to pick it up.

But the rest, he was going to enjoy while it lasted.

* * *

The next day, he waited at the entrance of the park, the sporting goods bag in his hand. Toya approached him, wearing a pair of baggy swim trunks that almost reached his knees – almost the proper length to be board shorts, Subaru thought – and a snug-fitting T-shirt with a small designer logo under the right shoulder.

It was the first time Subaru had seen him in anything other than a suit or the military uniform. And he looked, like he'd said at dinner, like a regular guy. He also looked incredibly gorgeous.

Don't think too much about that, Subaru thought. You won't be able to focus on teaching him.

“Hi!” Toya said. “So, are we going to the beach from here?”

“Not yet,” Subaru said.

“Not yet?”

“When you start surfing, you have to learn fundamentals first,” Subaru said. “If you try to get on a board without doing that first? You'll wipe out in two seconds. More than that, you'll put yourself in danger. People don't appreciate how powerful the sea can be until they're in it, and sometimes, it's too late. And the first thing you have to learn is . . .”

He reached into the bag and brought out what looked like a plank of wood resting on a ball, which he put on the ground. “Balance,” he said.

Toya looked confused. “What's that?”

“It's a balance board,” Subaru said. “You stand on it, and it wobbles around, and you have to practice staying upright. Perfectly upright. Because that's what the ocean is going to do. There are unpredictable currents running everywhere at all times – even when you're on top of a wave. Especially when you're on top of a wave. You have to keep perfect balance at all times.”

He jumped up on the board to demonstrate. “See, you use your arms to balance yourself,” he said, holding them out to the side. “And you move them around constantly. Really experienced surfers don't always have to do that, but most people? Yes.” He hopped off the board. “Now, you try.”

Toya jumped on the way Subaru had, and instantly listed way to the left. “Whoa!” he said. He flailed his arms around, managing to right himself, but then started listing to the right.

“Don't flail,” Subaru said. “You don't have to do that – in fact, that might throw you more off-balance. Here, I'll support you until you get a feel for doing that.”

He got behind the prince, putting his hands on either side of his waist, holding him in place. “Now, try more subtle motions. You can also lean back and forth, just not too hard.”

“Like this?” Toya held his arms out to the side and slowly shifted their position.

“Perfect,” said Subaru.

He continued to hold onto Toya, and it slowly started registering that he could feel the man's body heat, and smell what kind of soap and shampoo he was using, it was a softly musky scent with some other exotic spices mixed in there, and . . .

Subaru quickly let go of the other man and took a step back, shaking his head to clear it. “There!” he said. “You're doing it! You're upright all on your own!”

He took a deep breath. What just happened now, he thought. For a second, I was distracted. Too distracted.

* * *

After Subaru was convinced Toya had mastered the board – and he told Toya he needed to get a balance board to practice with, “It's a skill we always have to keep up” – he took him to the ocean for the second lesson.

“You need to experience the waves themselves,” he said. “With your whole body. We call this body surfing. We're going to go out there and just stay in the water until a wave forms. When it does, you have to pay attention. I chose a place where the waves are smaller – they're a lot bigger down there.” He pointed down the beach.

“What affects how big the waves get?” Toya said.

“Lots of things,” Subaru said. “Wind on the surface of the water, mostly, but also the shape of the sea bed underneath and whether there's any reefs or sand bars in the area. The really ideal waves form a tube – they break so you can literally surf inside a wall of water. We usually don't get those in Royz.”

He led the other man into the water. “Now, when the wave forms, you start paddling. You need to try to match its speed. And pay attention to how the water moves and shifts under you and around you. When you get close enough to shore, put your feet on the sea bed, stand up and walk out.”

“I don't know if . . .” said Toya – and then, he felt a swelling under him. “Is that it?”

“That's it!” Subaru said. “Get ready to go!”

They were carried upward by a sudden upswell, and pushed toward the shore, and Toya found himself paddling frantically, desperate to stay afloat – but also, he found himself in the midst of a glorious chaos, with water pushing, surging everywhere, currents running this way and that. He found out he was close enough to the sea bed when his knee scraped sand, and he stumbled to his feet and out of the sea.

“Whoa,” he said.

“It's quite an experience, isn't it?” Subaru said. “But that's what you're dealing with. That's the ocean. It's powerful, it's unpredictable, and it's going to try to master you. The surfer's job is to outstmart the ocean and master it.”

“There's a lot more to this than I thought,” Toya said.

“Told you,” Subaru said. “Now, we're going to go out and do it again . . .”

* * *

Later, the two of them sat on towels on the beach to dry off. “So what did you think?” Subaru said.

“It's a lot more complicated than it seems when you look at it, isn't it?” Toya said.

“It's an art,” Subaru said. “I like to think of it as more of an art than a sport. And you're always looking to master it. I know guys who have been doing it for years who feel they haven't fully mastered surfing yet.”

“How long have you been doing it?” Toya said.

“Just about all my life,” Subaru said. “That's the way it is where I'm from. Everyone does it, and everyone starts early. The teenagers and adults teach the kids. It's just something that comes naturally, you know? We don't have much, but we make the most of what we do have – and what we have is the sea.”

“I could tell what you meant about the power of it,” Toya said. “I've swam in the ocean before – plenty of times – but that's not like trying to ride it.”

“And you haven't even stood up on a board yet,” Subaru said. “Our next lesson, we'll have you paddling on a body board to practice getting up to speed with the wave. And then, after that? We'll start you on what we call a funboard – that's a shorter board made of softer material.”

“Where are we getting the boards?” Toya said.

“Takashamiya,” said Subaru. “They have a great sporting goods department. I was actually surprised that they had such a good selection of boards. I didn't think surfing had caught on here yet.”

“Some of the younger people do it,” Toya said. “The ones who don't mind what older people think.”

“Why did you decide you wanted to learn it?” Subaru said.

“It looked like fun,” Toya said. “Plus, I want something I can call my own, you know? Too much of my life is . . .” He lay back with his hands tucked behind his head. “Prince stuff.”

“I imagine Yo-ka's is even more so,” Subaru said, quietly.

“You have no idea,” Toya said. “But I probably shouldn't be talking about him. You have your date tomorrow, don't you?”

“Oh!” Subaru said. “That IS tomorrow, isn't it?” He lay back next to Toya. “Time is flying by.”

“I'll bet you're having fun, though, aren't you?” Toya said.

Subaru closed his eyes. “More fun than I've ever had in my life,” he said.

“Good,” Toya said. “Because I've been having fun, too.” He looked over at Subaru. “And I'm looking forward to the next lesson.”

“Can you get to the store and get the body board by the day after tomorrow?” Subaru said.

“You've got it,” said Toya.

Subaru closed his eyes and relaxed. He was trying not to think too hard about his date with Yo-ka, although there were butterflies flapping around his stomach – because so much rested on this. Not only getting to know Yo-ka – which he very much wanted to do – but also being able to stay with his friends, and to keep giving Toya his lessons.

He wanted to see his first adult student through to being able to use a funboard, at the very least.

* * *

Toya knocked on the door of his brother's office. “Just me,” he said. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Yo-ka said, his voice sounding a bit . . . down, maybe, Toya thought.

He entered the office, to see his brother sitting in his desk chair, facing the window. When Yo-ka turned toward him, his expression confirmed Toya's worst suspicions. “Uh-oh. What's wrong? You didn't get a call from Father, did you?”

Yo-ka looked his brother up and down. “Your hair is damp.”

“I just got out of the shower, I was . . . on the beach. And you're dodging my question.”

Yo-ka looked down at the desk. “My date today didn't work out,” he said. “I had to let him go on the spot. Okay, we mutually agreed that he should leave. He thought I was too uptight, I thought he was too rude and crude. So he just handed me his rosette, went back to the palace and packed.”

“I'm sorry,” Toya said, sitting in the chair on the other side of the desk. “But better you find out early in the competition, right?”

“I didn't want to have to do this,” Yo-ka said. “I didn't want to have to cut guys – not in person. That was one of my biggest objections to this thing. It's why it's so cruel and inhumane. And then, when we get further in, and the guys have developed friendships, and you have to cut one guy and leave all his friends there . . .”

He turned his chair toward the window again. “I like to think I'm not an asshole. And I don't want to be forced to be one.”

“You're not an asshole,” Toya said. “Okay, I may have called you one when you took the last beer on Christmas, but I didn't mean it.” He got up and walked around the desk so he was in front of Yo-ka. “Look – what if you could promise the guys something nice afterward? Like, maybe, a reunion for the Top Ten finishers?”

“A reunion?” Yo-ka said.

“Sure! Give them a chance to meet up with their old friends again. Maybe give them a week at Madara” – a retreat on a private island owned by the royal family. “Let them reconnect with each other and renew their friendships. You could even invite some other friends of yours, give them a chance to meet some more people. Maybe someone will meet somebody he wants to date.”

Yo-ka gave a feeble smile. “It's a nice idea. Really.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I just don't want these guys to hate me when it's over.”

“They're not going to hate you,” Toya said. “Nobody could hate you. Not with a smile like that.”

“Thanks,” Yo-ka said. “I guess I'm lucky. Not everyone has a one-man pep squad as a sibling.”

“Glad to be of service,” Toya said. “Okay, I'll let you get ready for dinner. I need to do the same.”

“Dry your hair!” Yo-ka called to his brother's retreating back. He turned toward the windows again. He just hoped his date with Subaru was going to go well tomorrow. He really had high hopes for the blond boy – and he couldn't bear two failures in a row.

* * *

The instructions Subaru had received for his date said that he should meet Yo-ka at the front gate of the palace after breakfast. He was standing there now, feeling half-breathless, restraining himself from clenching and unclenching his hands.

Yo-ka walked up toward him, noticing that the boy seemed better-dressed than one would expect for someone from Royz – a nice jacket, a cute wide-brimmed hat, pants tucked into fashionable boots. “Hi, there,” Yo-ka said. “I didn't keep you waiting, did I?”

“Oh!” Subaru jumped a little. “No, I've just been here a few minutes.” He bowed. “Good morning, Yo-ka-sa-” He caught himself before he could finish the “-sama.”

“At ease,” Yo-ka said. “No formalities today, we're just going to have a good time.”

“Okay!” Subaru willed himself to be as relaxed as possible. It wasn't working very well. “Where are we going?”

Yo-ka pointed toward the town. “See those wires up there?”

“Um . . . yes?” said Subaru.

“And see that hill over there? Where the wires are going? There's a sightseeing gondola that goes over the whole city, and to the top of that hill. There's a place up there where we're going to have lunch.” He looked over at Subaru. “You're not scared of heights, are you?”

“Not at all,” Subaru said. “I used to climb to the tops of trees all the time. I even climbed to the top of a tree and onto my best friend's roof.”

“Why did you do that?” Yo-ka said, leading Subaru to a fancy car, with a driver holding the door open.

“He'd left his watch at my place when we went surfing,” Subaru said. “I knew his father would kill him if he didn't have it, so I had to get it back to him.”

“Do you always take chances like that?” Yo-ka said as they got in the car.

“Sometimes you have to,” Subaru said. “You can't live your whole life on the edge – but when somebody needs you? You do what they need.”

“Your friends must mean a lot to you,” Yo-ka said.

“They always have,” Subaru said. “We grew up together, the four of us. Well, there used to be a fifth one of us, but Kazuki ended up leaving Royz. His family got work in another district.” He looked over at Yo-ka. “What about you? Do you have friends you grew up with?”

“I have school buddies I see a lot,” Yo-ka said. “And I have people I hang out with in town sometimes” – what his father always called “carousing.” “My best friend has always been my brother, though.”

“Really?” said Subaru.

“We're closer in age to each other than we are to my sister,” Yo-ka said. “And we understand each other – what we go through in life.”

The car pulled up in front of a building that had an architectural style that evoked an earlier century. The driver got out, spoke to someone at the gate, and then pulled up at the entrance.

“We get out here,” Yo-ka said. “The manager will take us right to the gondolas.”

“Have you ever done this before?” Subaru said. “This ride, I mean.”

“No,” said Yo-ka. “This is going to be a first for both of us.”

They were ushered over to an enclosed car that looked, to Subaru, rather like one of the cars on the ferris wheel he'd rode when a carnival came to town. The two men sat opposite each other, and the guard closed and locked the door. There was a grinding of gears, and the gondola started to move, ascending up the wires and over the town.

“Look at that,” Subaru said. “It's bigger than I thought it was!”

“Lycaon and its outlying districts go out pretty far,” Yo-ka said. “There's a lot of different things going on here – tourism and shopping, yes, but there's also a university, some museums, a couple of radio stations – and some movies get filmed here.”

“And the waves are terrific,” Subaru said.

“That's right, you surf,” Yo-ka said.

“All my life,” Subaru said. “Do you have something like that you do?”

“I used to bowl,” Yo-ka said. “I wasn't that good at it.”

“Why used to?” Subaru said. “Did you give it up because you weren't good?”

“Not enough time,” Yo-ka said. He didn't want to tell the truth – his father had berated him for playing a “middle-class sport.” As if he wanted to learn polo or cricket.

“You have time now, though, don't you?” Subaru said. “I mean, you have free time between dates and stuff you have to attend to? You should go out to a bowling alley! They have them here, don't they?”

“Well, yes,” Yo-ka said.

“Just get away for a few minutes and do it!” Subaru said. “We all have to enjoy ourselves sometimes, right? I mean – what's the point of being on this planet if we don't?”

Yo-ka turned a smile on him. “Are you always this cheerful?” he said.

“No,” said Subaru. “I have my down moments. But I do try to make the most of what's there, you know?”

Yo-ka looked out at the passing scenery. This guy had an effect on him, all right – the effect of making the dull dreariness of everyday life seem better. And the more he had him around, the more he decided he liked that.

He didn't have to worry about this date being a failure.

* * *

By the time they were at the end of their lunch, they had shared stories about their schools and found out that things weren't much different at the stuffy private academy Yo-ka had gone to than they were at Subaru's typical public school. They compared notes on movies they enjoyed and radio shows that they listened to – Yo-ka admitted to listening to crime dramas through a carefully concealed earphone, since his father thought such things were “garbage” and “beneath one of your station.”

And when the dessert menu arrived, they found themselves talking about their tastes in sweet treats. “I like parfaits,” Subaru said. “You know, with fruit and ice cream? Especially if they have strawberries.”

“I love strawberries,” Yo-ka said. “I briefly dated a guy who absolutely cringed at the very idea of them. So if I kissed him after eating them? He'd almost gag.” Pause. “That's why I BRIEFLY dated him.”

Subaru laughed. “So how do you usually eat your strawberries?” he said.

“Straight up with whipped cream a lot of the time,” Yo-ka said. “Or in a strawberry shortcake. I love those.”

“I can make those!” Subaru said. “I mean, I don't bake a lot, but I learned to make a strawberry shortcake for my mother's birthday. It came out pretty well. I just figured, well, I have to do what I have to do, right?”

“It must be nice,” Yo-ka said, wistfully.

“What must be?”

“To just decide spur of the moment you're going to do something and do it,” Yo-ka said. “I mean, my brother and I got away with that kind of thing more when we were younger, but now that we're adults . . .”

“You can, you know,” Subaru said. “You're away from the main palace now, aren't you? Nobody's looking over your shoulder. If you want to learn to bake? Just bake! Get a cookbook and follow the recipe. It's a lot easier than it looks.”

The waiter approached them. “So, would you like dessert, sirs?” he said.

Subaru looked at Yo-ka. “Why don't we get one parfait and one strawberry shortcake, and split them?”

“You've got it,” he said. When the waiter left, he reached into his pocket. “Subaru, I said I wasn't going to do this, because I want to stay absolutely fair to everyone, but . . . you earned this today. I really do enjoy spending time with you.”

He pulled out a little box and handed it across the table. Subaru opened it – and saw a little ribbon with a hook on the end.

“Is this for my rosette?” he said. “Does this mean I have immunity?”

“Yes,” Yo-ka said. “You're definitely moving on with us to the next palace.”

“Thank you!” Subaru closed the box and put it in his pocket. “Um, I'm going to keep this a secret, okay? I won't actually put this on my rosette until the other guys get theirs back.”

“That's exactly what I expected you to do,” Yo-ka said.

Subaru beamed as the waiter arrived with their desserts. “Oh, wow!” he said. “They're huge! I might be skipping dinner tonight.”

His hand reached down and rubbed over the box in his pocket, tenderly. He was feeling very warm and happy right now. His friends back home would be hearing another announcement at the end of the week about him making the cut. He was just hoping Kuina would let someone else buy the round this time.

* * *

Subaru saw off his friends who were going on the next day's group date, and then met Toya on the beach for their next lesson. While he hadn’t brought a body board with him from home, he did manage to borrow one from one of the staff members, who was trying to learn to surf himself.

“You look happy this morning,” Toya said. “Did things go well yesterday? My brother isn't allowed to talk about his dates in detail.”

“They went great,” Subaru said. “I'm, well . . . I'm glad I went.” He looked wistful. “If I had a solo date in this city, I won't have one in the next one, will I?”

“That's the way the rules work,” Toya said. “And really – it's only fair.”

“Who came up with this system, anyway?” Subaru said as they made their way toward the water, body boards under their arms.

“It's only been around about a few hundred years,” Toya said. “Before that, all the royal children were sent to other countries in arranged marriages, except the crown prince. He got a bride imported for him whether he wanted her or not. This resulted, of course, in a lot of people being married to people they couldn't stand and having affairs. Most of the high-ranking nobles are descended from what they used to call 'royal bastards.'”

“So how did they go from that to this?” said Subaru as they reached the water's edge.

“One of the princes asked to have several princesses from different countries brought to him that he could make a choice among, instead of having a bride forced on him,” Toya said. “He got his way. That went so well that when he had a son of his own, he did the same thing. But for his younger son – since, you know, us younger princes are kind of regarded as spare change – he took things one step further. He let him choose from the daughters of the noble families within our own country. Next generation, they took it further still and the younger son chose from one representative of every district – like we're doing here. And finally, we arrived at the older son getting to do that as well.”

“That means every royal consort since then has been a commoner?” Subaru said.

“Not really,” Toya said. “Every Culling of a crown prince has resulted in him marrying the child of a high-ranking noble family. And, yeah, given that they're all descended from royal bastards? We're inbred as hell. It's a miracle Yo-ka and I don't have three ears and 16 toes.”

“You don't look like a mutant,” Subaru said. “Not in the slightest. You look . . .” He paused, blushing. He was about to say flat-out gorgeous. No, no, that would be a bad thing to do. “You look like what you are. Human.”

“I don't first thing in the morning,” Toya said, paddling out into the water.

“Nobody does,” Subaru replied. (And why was he liking the idea of seeing Toya first thing in the morning very, very much? He needed to stop that line of thought, now.)

“Okay, what are we supposed to be doing with these boards, anyway?” Toya said.

“We're going to practice paddling until we reach the speed of the wave,” Subaru said. “We're going to just wait here a moment . . .”

* * *

At dinner, Ruiza and Hiro were all smiles. “We had a great time,” Ruiza said. “We went out to this place in town where they had a traditional dance show, and they taught us to dance, and we all had to show off what we'd learned.”

“I put my own spin on it,” Hiro said. “I added in extra hip action. The dancing girls seemed impressed.”

“And then afterward, we went to a place where we could have a picnic, and we all got one-on-one time with the prince. He is REALLY a sweetie,” Ruiza said. “He said I have a sparkly personality.”

“Yeah, but somebody got more time than anyone else,” Hiro said.

“Not THAT much more time,” Ruiza said.

“Who are you talking about?” said MiA.

“Yuuki,” Hiro said. “The prince couldn't take his eyes off him. And Yuuki kept pulling him away – he said it was because this is his hometown and he figured he should show the prince around, but . . .”

“Bet he gets a one-on-one date next city,” Ruiza said. “In fact? I think he slipped Yuuki his ribbon early. You know, to go on his rosette?”

Subaru found himself looking down at his plate. Okay, he thought, I should have expected this. This isn't a normal dating situation. We're all here to capture his heart. I shouldn't be jealous, right? He has someone else that he liked enough to give a ribbon to, that doesn't take anything away from yesterday.

He could hear his friends talking cheerfully about how MiA and Hiyori were next up at bat, and Subaru tried not to think about a very ugly possibility – what if, he thought, I move on, and one of my friends gets cut?

* * *

The next night, at dinner, Subaru pretended to go up and hand in his rosette to the staff with the others, although he put it in his pocket instead. He had his ribbon already.

It had been an uneventful day – he and Toya had practiced with the body boards again, he'd spent some time hanging out with Ruiza and Hiro, and they heard all about the group date, involving a boat trip to see dolphins, at dinner. Subaru just had a lump in the pit of his stomach thinking about the next day.

“Those of you who get ribbons tomorrow morning,” the Earl told them, “will be moving on to the city of Versailles. The ones who don't, we will arrange for transportation back to your hometowns.”

Subaru knew he was going to be on that train. He just wondered who else would be.

* * *

In his office, Yo-ka was personally putting the ribbons on the rosettes. He had them divided into three piles – “yes,” “no” and “maybe.” He had to decide which of the four “maybes” would fill the two available spots after the “yes” pile got their ribbons.

Two rosettes were conspicuous by their absences. As Ruiza and Hiro had observed, he'd given Yuuki his right away, just as he had with Subaru. Yuuki was someone that Yo-ka found fascinating. Besides, he “got” him – on every possible level. He understood what it was to struggle to be yourself when everyone around you seemed to have their own ideas about who and what you were.

The door opened and the Earl walked in, looking rattled. “Your Highness?” he said. “We have a problem.”

“Is it one of the candidates?” Yo-ka said, looking up from the rosettes.

“No. It's our next destination. We're not going to be able to go to Versailles.”

“What do you mean, we can't go to Versailles? We have the train ready to go. We have a palace there. We . . .”

“They took your rejection of Teru seriously,” the Earl said. “I mean, very, very seriously. His father was at the palace when it happened. He came back home and started yelling. And yelling. And now, the people there are in flat-out revolt. There's been anti-royalty demonstrations in the streets everywhere. They're talking about coming to the capital when you make your final choice and protesting there. Our staff has even reported seeing threatening graffiti – directly threatening YOU. I'm sorry, Your Highness, but we can't take that risk.”

“I'm not afraid of protests, Earl. We have guards. We have . . .”

“You will have ten young men with you, and your brother. Do you want to put them at risk? Can you imagine the outcry if an innocent candidate is hurt or killed – especially if it's a young man of a high-ranking family? We CANNOT go to Versailles, Your Highness.”

Yo-ka sighed, running his hand through his hair. “So what are we supposed to do, then?” he said. “Remain here?”

A voice outside the door shouted, “Yo-ka? Hey, Yo-ka, I've got some bad news about . . .” Toya entered the room and saw Earl Ohara – and the expression on the man's face. “Oh. You beat me to it.”

“I know about it, thanks,” Yo-ka said. “Apparently, we've been directly threatened.”

“Well, why don't you all come to my place, then?” Toya said. “Charlotte isn't much further away than Versailles. My palace can hold all these people.”

“We had arranged for dates in Versailles, though . . .” Yo-ka said.

“Dammit, boy, the hell with the dates!” the Earl snapped – causing both princes to eye him oddly. The Earl quickly bowed low and said, “I beg your pardons, sirs. I spoke out of turn.”

“No, you didn't,” Yo-ka said. “You're right. I can't risk my brother, and Yuuki, and Subaru, and . . . and everyone,” he said, quickly. “Toya, can you make some calls for me?”

“Sure thing,” Toya said. “And, yeah, don't worry about the dates. Just take the lucky guys to the beach bars.”

As the younger prince left, Yo-ka said, “If you'd yelled that way in front of my father? He'd . . .”

“Have my head on a pike, yes, I know, sir,” Earl Ohara said. “But I know very well you're not your father.”

“Thank God,” Yo-ka said. “All right, let me finish this, then we'll get ready to go to Charlotte.”

As the Earl left, he thought about the names that Yo-ka had mentioned while in his flustered state. I wonder, he thought, if we just got a preview of who the final two will be. And if it's that boy from Royz . . . I don't want to be around the king when he hears.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Principality of Charlotte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third round of the Culling is moved to the district of Charlotte – where Toya has a palace. One prince explores a new sport, the other rekindles his love for an old one, and Subaru finds himself getting closer to both. But then, there’s also that nobleman from Lycaon who’s caught one prince’s eye . . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A funboard, which Toya uses for his lesson here, is a smaller and softer board than the popular longboard, and it’s especially designed for beginners.

Subaru rushed out into the hall the next morning, after the servants came to take his new suitcase and his surfboard. He was hoping, praying he'd see his friends among the guys who were assembling to move on to the next castle.

The first person he caught sight of was Ruiza. Then, he saw Hiyori, and Hiro . . . and finally, MiA rushed into the room behind him.

“Am I late?” MiA said.

“No,” said Subaru. “But you scared me for a moment!”

“We all made it!” Ruiza said. “That means we're half of the top ten!”

“And we all know who the sixth person was,” Hiyori said. “There's no way in hell Yuuki didn't make the cut.”

The Earl came up to the boys, looking rather frazzled. “Good morning, gentlemen,” he said. “It seems there's been a change in our schedule.”

“What kind of change?” Subaru said.

“We're not going to Versailles,” the Earl said. “We're going to Charlotte instead.”

“WHAT?” said Ruiza. “But you told us yesterday . . .”

“Sorry, gentlemen. It can't be helped,” said the Earl. “Now, if you will excuse me . . .”

They watched him go. “What was that about?” MiA said.

“Bet it has something to do with Teru,” Hiyori said, carefully sitting down on one of the pieces of luggage piled in front of them.

“Hey!” said Hiro. “That's my luggage!”

“Okay,” Hiyori said, standing up. “I'll sit on Ruiza's instead. But seriously – all those guys who bet on Teru and lost? Bet they're kicking themselves – and ready to kick other people. Specifically, kick US because we’re still in the running.”

“I still don't know why people are betting on this,” Subaru said.

But there was a thought in the back of his mind – when Toya had first told him about the waves in Lycaon, he said they were second only to the ones in Charlotte. Whatever happened to cause the venue shift, it was a happy accident.

He was going to get Toya up on a surfboard – in a place with the best surfing in the country.

* * *

Rather than travel by train, the royal party took a boat to their new destination. Fortunately, Toya had managed to round up and rouse enough staff that there were a full complement of cars waiting for them at the dock.

“You will find your schedule in your rooms, again,” the Earl announced. “There will be four individual dates, and then one group date with the remaining six people. If you had an individual date in Lycaon, you will be on the group date here.”

“So that means I'm free until the end of the week,” Subaru said out loud. He was kind of disappointed at the idea of reduced time with Yo-ka.

“I wonder what kind of dates they ended up arranging at the last minute,” MiA said as he and Subaru climbed into a car.

“I'd just like to know why we couldn't go to Versailles,” Subaru said. “They don't let us read newspapers or listen to the radio, so there's no way we could find out.”

“I don't think they want us to find out,” MiA said, glumly. “Meaning, there may be more to this Teru thing than we think.”

When they got to the palace, however, the focus shifted to seeing who got what dates. MiA charged out of his room into the hall absolutely beaming. “Subaru!” he called. “I got the first individual date!”

“Terrific!” Subaru said. “I'm so glad – you deserve it, MiA.” He quietly wondered how he would feel if he found out that Yo-ka was falling for his best friend among this group. Would he be happy? Yes, but . . . . he couldn't deny he'd be jealous. Well, maybe just a little.

When they met up for dinner, they found out that the third date of the week went to Ruiza. “I'm on the group date again,” Hiyori said, glumly.

“So am I,” Hiro said. “Subaru, you’re going to have company.”

“I don't mind,” Subaru said. “Though . . . I'd like to see more of the prince.”

“We all would,” MiA said. “Honestly – who decided we could only see him during dates? Doesn’t that seem counterproductive if he’s supposed to be, you know, building relationships with us?”

Subaru glanced across the room, where Yuuki of Lycaon was eating with a few of the other remaining candidates. I wonder if he got an individual date, he thought. He knew he really should stop seeing Yuuki as a rival. Not as if he was a front runner, right? They were all equal at this point.

He was getting the impression, though, that Yuuki was more equal than the rest of them.

As he was headed back to his room, he heard a voice calling his name in the corridor. He turned to see Toya. “Oh, hi!” he said. “My date isn't until the end of the week.”

“I know,” Toya said. “The group date. I was just arranging it. You're going to like it, I think. My brother came up with the concept while we were on the way over. So . . . I got the funboard! I'm ready to have my first lesson with it when you are.”

“Think you're ready to start tomorrow?” Subaru said.

“I know I'm ready,” Toya said. “Heck, I'd be ready now!”

“You don't want to go surfing at night,” Subaru said. “Well, when you're more experienced you can, but when you're new? You won't be able to see anything!”

“Well, then, I'll have to practice more so I can be experienced, right?” he said. “I'm really glad you're still here, Subaru.”

“I'm glad I'm still here, too,” he said. “It's going to be very hard to go back home to Royz after this.” He turned. “See you after breakfast on the beach?”

“You've got it!” Toya said.

Subaru headed for his room, suddenly feeling very happy.

* * *

Toya's first time on the funboard went pretty much like Subaru expected. He stood up, wobbled, and immediately wiped out.

“It's okay,” he said. “We all do that the first time. You just need to remember your balance. Keep it centered as much as possible.”

“Must be easier to do this as a kid,” Toya said, getting back on the board and starting to paddle again. “You're lower to the ground. Less to keep balanced.”

“Yes, but you have shorter legs,” Subaru said. “You can't move as fast.”

A few more tries, and Toya was finally able to stand up for more than a few seconds. By the time afternoon rolled around, he successfully rode a wave all the way in to the shore. “YES!” he shouted, pumping his fist in the air. “Finally!”

“I knew you could do it!” Subaru said.

“I didn't!” Toya said. “But since I did? I want to do it again!” He paddled out into the water.

Subaru watched his student. He looks like a kid right now, he thought. Happy and carefree. More than he's ever been when he's at home, I'll bet.

He couldn't help but notice how Toya's smile lit up his entire face. It seemed to start from the very bottom of his soul and spread everywhere, making everyone who looked at him feel happy, too. It made Subaru feel warm from the inside out.

Maybe . . . a little too warm. Should he really be feeling that way?

He quickly grabbed his board and threw himself back into the water, desperately needing the distraction for the moment.

* * *

That night, MiA was all smiles about his date. “He took me to a place where you could pedal little boats around a lake – you know, with bicycle pedals. And after we did that, we had cocktails and talked and I said I'd play the guitar for him when we got back. Which I did. He waited for me to get my guitar and we went to the pavilion back there” - he pointed behind the palace - “and I did a few songs.”

“Sounds like you had a great day,” Ruiza said.

“He really isn't how I'd think a prince would be, you know?” MiA said. “He's like someone I would have known back home. Somebody you'd go out to a bar with.” He smiled a little. “Makes you wonder why he felt he had to do this Culling stuff to get a husband.”

“I don't think it was his choice,” Subaru said, quietly. “I think he'd rather just date like anyone else.”

“I sure as hell wouldn't want to do this,” Ruiza said. “Can you imagine having to send someone home? Especially if you like him, but don't like him enough?”

“That's why the ribbon thing, you know,” Hiro said. “So he doesn't have to do it in person.”

Meanwhile, the object of their conversation and his brother were having dinner on the back terrace, listening to reports from a couple of advisors.

“Stories about the unrest in Versailles have been on the news all over the place,” said the black-suited man standing by their table. “Rumor has it the protests are starting to spread to other aristocratic areas.”

“Just lovely,” Yo-ka said. “Does my father know about it yet?”

“If he does, he's said nothing, Your Highness,” said the advisor. “I imagine he will have to pretty soon, in order to nip this thing in the bud.”

“I can just imagine what he's going to say, all right,” Toya grumbled.

“Let him say what he wants,” Yo-ka said. “I did nothing wrong. I followed the guidelines of a Culling. You eliminate candidates as you choose.”

“Yes, sir, but Cullings have usually been done with one eye on politics,” said the advisor.

“Well, they shouldn't be,” Yo-ka said. “If these protestors could see the guys that I kept, if they could know their personalities . . .” He suddenly got an idea. “Can we get one of the radio hosts in here? I mean, one of those guys that hosts a talk show?”

“Why ever would you want to do that for?” said the advisor. “Princes usually stay isolated from the public during Cullings.”

“It's not so much me,” Yo-ka said. “I want him to interview the guys. I want their stories to be on the radio. Maybe if the public knew who they were, they'd come to like them, and that would calm things down a little.”

“I wouldn't do that right away,” Toya said. “Wait until you get down to the top six. It's a better story if there's fewer guys.”

“Fine,” Yo-ka said. “Six guys, then. That's two weeks from now, when we're in . . .” He thought for a moment. “Dauto. If this protest thing is still going on then, we'll do a group radio interview with the candidates in Dauto.”

“You are sure about this, sir? Your father might . . .”

“It is my choice and my Culling in the end, not his,” Yo-ka said. “Yes, I'm sure.”

Once he was gone, Toya said, “You really are being brave, aren't you?”

“It's the best way to stop this,” Yo-ka said. “I don't want Father sending troops into Versailles. That will only make things worse. They'll start an independence movement then, and there hasn't been a country that split off from this one since . . . well, over a hundred years ago.”

“You could have avoided this whole thing by keeping Teru, you know,” Toya said.

“Toya,” Yo-ka said. “come on. You know me. Would I have done that? Would I have kept someone I knew it wouldn’t work out with? Especially if it would be unfair to both me and him?”

“Never in a billion years,” Toya said.

“Bingo,” Yo-ka said. “I might be going along with this farce, but I'm not compromising my heart and soul to do it – or anyone else’s, for that matter.”

Quietly, though, he wondered if his father might have an extreme reaction – send troops into Versailles, call the Culling off, try to marry Yo-ka off to a foreign princess . . .

And if he tries that, he thought, I just might start an independence movement of my own.

* * *

The rest of the week, Subaru divided his time between the beach – where he and Toya patiently worked on his surfing – and a little park beside the palace, which was the favored hangout spot for himself and his friends.

He had to admit that his favorite time of the day was always when he and Toya were done with the lesson. They'd sit on blankets on the beach, drying off and chatting.

“I'm starting to like this place,” Subaru said on the third day. “It feels kind of homey, even though it's a big palace.”

“I make sure it's that way,” Toya said. “I don't want to come home to a place that feels, you know, formal. I want a place where I can lie on the rug listening to the radio in a T-shirt and shorts.”

“That sounds like fun,” Subaru said.

“And then, when I don't feel like doing that, I go into town and everyone treats me as just a regular guy,” he said. “They just wave and say hello.” He looked over at Subaru. “I should take you and your friends into town, actually. Are they doing anything this afternoon?”

“Ruiza's out with Yo-ka,” Subaru said. “The others are available.”

“Why don't I round them all up and show you the place, then?” Toya said. “I think I count as a chaperone if I'm a member of the royal family.”

“You won't get us in trouble?” Subaru said.

“Who would I get you in trouble with?” said Toya. “I'll tell the Earl, if you're worried he's going to make a fuss.”

“Well . . . okay,” Subaru said. “If they all agree.”

“Great,” Toya said. “Let's go find them, then!” He stood up and held out a hand to Subaru, to help him up. Subaru took it . . .

And suddenly, it felt right. Very right. As if the two of them clasping hands was the most natural thing in the world.

He scrambled to his feet and said, quickly, “Let's go.”

* * *

As it turned out, the others were easy to round up and eager to see the town, so before long, they were all seated in a long black car, with seats wide enough to fit all five of them – there were two benches in the back of the car, facing each other.

“This is the old part of town,” Toya said as they drove down a street lined with historical buildings. “Charlotte was actually one of the earlier settlements in this country. There's families who have lived in some of these homes for six generations.”

“Why don't we have a representative of this district in the Culling?” Subaru said.

“Charlotte and Valluna are considered principalities,” Toya said. “Since each one is governed by a prince after he gets married, they have different status than the rest of the districts. Anyone from either of them who participated in a Culling is seen as having an unfair advantage.”

“Like being from a higher district isn't?” Hiro said.

“It didn't help Teru, did it?” Hiyori said. “He was gone in the first round, remember?”

“So we're entering the town center now,” Toya said, quickly, wanting to avoid the subject of Teru. “The big park over there is known as Charlotte's Green, it's where the King's Birthday Fair is held .. .”

Eventually, they came to an area that Toya called the Entertainment District, sporting theaters for both live performances and movies, restaurants, and several bars and nightclubs.

“Oh, wait!” he told the driver. “We have to stop here!”

“What is it?” Subaru said.

“My favorite izakaya,” Toya said. “We've got to have beer and yakitori here!”

“We can do that?” MiA said. “Have beer, I mean?”

“As long as we don't have too much of it,” Toya said. “If I got you drunk, I'd be in trouble.”

They entered the establishment – which was, like most izakayas, a casual place – white-painted walls covered with paintings of the town in former days, long tables where groups of friends could sit, waiters bustling around with pitchers and platters of skewers.

“Oh, hello, Toya!” the head waiter said, bowing. “And you have company today, I see!”

“Some guests of me and my brother,” Toya said, casually. “We'll have a round of your best beers and your best yakitori.”

“Coming right up, sir!” the man said.

When they were settled in their seats, Hiro said, “Can we just stay in this town instead of moving on? I mean, seriously?”

“I second that!” Subaru said.

“I wish that were the case, guys,” Toya said. “But we really do need to move on. Rules are rules. Not that I exactly care for them a hundred percent.”

“So you're going to be the governor of this district after you get married?” MiA sad.

“Officially,” Toya said. “I'm going to end up appointing an administrator to do the real day-to-day running of the place, since I'll be traveling a lot.” He paused. “Hey, maybe I can bring you guys with me. Every traveling royal needs an entourage. What do you guys do that might be a useful skill?”

“I'm a photographer,” MiA said. “I guess that's useful.”

“Very useful!” Toya said. “I could definitely bring along a photographer. What about you, Hiyori?”

“I'm in a dance troupe,” he said. “That's not going to help you.”

“It might if we were going to a foreign country,” Toya said. “We might want to demonstrate our traditional culture. Hiro?”

“Well, I work in my family's ice cream shop . . .”

“Do you make the ice cream?” Toya said.  
“We always do,” Hiro said. “It's a family recipe.”

“Ice cream is always useful!” said Toya. “And Subaru? We know about the surfing.”

“I work for a tugboat company . . .” he said.

“You've piloted the boats, then?”

“A little.”

“We can have you taught to be a captain, then,” Toya said. “You know the ocean, after all!” He raised his glass. “It's settled. We're all going to be traveling together someday.”

“We need to bring Ruiza, too,” Subaru said. “He's a perfume chemist.”

“They're going to need perfume where we're going, too!” said Toya.

As they clinked glasses, Subaru thought, Toya isn't taking into account that more than likely, one of us might be married to his brother by the time Toya is married and traveling around.

And why did the idea of Toya married cause a strange sort of queasiness in the pit of his stomach?

* * *

Subaru was tired by the time they got back from the izakaya. He forced himself to go to dinner – and he didn't eat much, given the amount of yakitori he'd consumed – for two reasons. First, to hear about Ruiza's date (he raved about it, they went to a donut place that let you fill your own cream or jelly donut and then took the results out onto Charlotte's Green to eat and talk). Second, to get his instructions for the group date.

“Wear comfortable clothes you can move around in,” the Earl said. “Be at the front gate after breakfast.”

“Comfortable clothes?” MiA said. “Isn't that unusual for a date?”

“Must not involve going anywhere fancy,” Hiro said. “That's okay. I like casual better anyway.”

The group was waiting outside at the appointed hour, dressed accordingly, when they were approached by the prince, who was wearing a T-shirt and jeans.

“Yes, I do own clothes like this,” he said. “Good morning, everyone! I think we're going to have fun today. The activity I have planned is something that used to be near and dear to my heart – and I'm hoping to have it be dear again.”

He led the way to a pair of long cars, like the ones Subaru's group took yesterday, which sent them into the heart of town. When they were at the border of the entertainment district, they stopped.

“Right here,” Yo-ka said. “I think it's going to be self-explanatory what the place is.”

Subaru looked up at the sign overhanging the entrance of the building – and saw a giant edifice of a bowling ball and pin.

“Bowling?” he said, the conversation he'd had with Yo-ka during their date suddenly leaping into his mind. “We're going bowling?”

“You've got it,” Yo-ka said.

“That's . . .” Subaru suddenly felt a strange swelling of happiness inside him. “Wonderful.”

The group entered the bowling alley. When Yo-ka went to sign them in, the man behind the desk asked if he was experienced or a novice.

“I have experience, but it’s been awhile,” Yo-ka said. “Way, way too long.”

He rented shoes and bowling balls for all of them. Subaru whispered to his two friends, “Have you ever done this?”

“Maybe once, when I was a kid,” Hiyori said.

“Good,” Subaru replied. “You're in the same boat I am.”

“All right!” Yo-ka said, coming toward the group. “Go up to the counter and tell them what kind of shoes you wear, and we'll get started!”

Unfortunately, it became apparent very quickly just how long it had been since the prince had bowled. The first ball he threw went straight into the gutter. The second knocked down two pins in a far corner. He shrugged. “It'll get better!” he said.

Subaru wasn't much better. He knocked down a single pin on his first ball, and his second went into the gutter as well. As a bowler, I'm a pretty good surfer, he thought.

Hiro, on the other hand, did quite well. In fact, on his third frame, he got a strike, much to his own surprise. He stood in the middle of the alley, saying, “Whoa. WHOA. Did you see that?”

“That mean we have to buy you a round of drinks?” Hiyori said.

“I don't think we're allowed to drink on dates,” Hiro said. “But thanks for the thought.”

As the game wore on, though, Yo-ka improved. It was as if he were relearning old, long-forgotten rhythms, and he ended the game with a solid spare. “Yes!” he said, punching his fist in the air. “I've still got it!”

Afterward, they went to a soda shop adjacent to the bowling alley – where they were each going to have their one-on-one time with the prince. Yo-ka was at one table, the guys would take turns going up to him, one by one.

When it was Subaru's turn, Yo-ka smiled as he approached the table. “Hi,” he said. “I guess I should thank you.”

“For the idea?” Subaru said.

“For making me even think about bowling again,” Yo-ka said. “I've forgotten how much I liked it. It's probably a good thing we didn't go to Versailles. I don't think they have any bowling alleys there.”

“Yo-ka,” Subaru said, quietly, “why didn't we go there?”

“I'm not allowed to talk about it,” Yo-ka said. “I'm sorry.” He paused. “But just between you and me? I'm really glad we didn't. I've had fun here. Besides, I’ve spent enough time there. I had to go there a lot when I was a kid – I've got an uncle who lives there.”

“Really?” Subaru said. “Sorry – it's hard to think about . . .”

“Royalty having uncles and aunts? We do. Every royal family has several heirs, remember. And my uncle lived in a really uptight neighborhood.”

“My uncle has a fish shop,” Subaru said. “He's such a nice guy, but his home? It stinks to high heaven. You have to hold your breath when you go in there.”

Yo-ka laughed. “Subaru, you make me want to see Royz.”

“I do?” Subaru said.

“It sounds like such a relaxed place,” Yo-ka said. “A relaxed place filled with mellow people.”

“People are comfortable with themselves and their surroundings,” Subaru said. “They live and breathe the sea. It's what they do, it's what they are. It's a simple way of life, sure, but one that makes people happy.”

“And that's why you're happy?” Yo-ka said.

“I'm happy because I'm doing what I always wanted to do,” Subaru said. “I'm going places and seeing things. I guess I'm that rare person from Royz who needs more than the sea to be happy.”

“But the sea does make you happy, doesn't it?” Yo-ka said. “I've seen you surfing.”

Subaru felt a momentary panic – did Yo-ka knew he'd been tutoring his brother? Would he be in trouble if he did? “You have?”

“My window in this palace faces the ocean,” Yo-ka said. “I watched you first thing in the morning, before breakfast. You looked like you were one with the wave. It was like, well, some kind of ballet.”

“First thing in the morning is when you can get the best swells,” Subaru said, blushing a little. So he saw his pre-breakfast solo surfing, not the lessons.

“I wanted to have something that made me as happy as surfing makes you,” Yo-ka said. “That's one reason I started bowling again. So . . . I have you to thank twice over, I guess.”

Subaru swallowed hard. Yo-ka's words were making his heart swell. The fact that he could do this for someone, help them recover a joy they'd lost . . . and, of course, the fact that it was Yo-ka just made it twice as emotional.

“You don't have to,” he told the other man. “The pleasure is mine.”

* * *

Once again, Yo-ka found himself with a stack of rosettes and a decision to make. Only two guys to eliminate this time, thank God – and he pretty much knew which two it was going to be.

Yuuki's ribbon was conspicuous by its absence again, because Yo-ka had given it to him at the conclusion of their one-on-one date. It was a no-brainer. They'd just done what Toya had suggested – hung out at a beach bar – because it seemed a natural for Yuuki.

In his heart of hearts, Yuuki really was a regular guy – no, an adventurous guy on the edge – who just happened to have been born into a hoity-toity family.

They'd talked about Yuuki's performing career, and the musicians he'd worked with, and the fact that he actually hid that he was a nobleman in publicity materials. “You'd be surprised at how much reverse prejudice there is,” he said. “Just like people say some people shouldn't have made it this far in your Culling, people think a guy from a family like mine shouldn't be onstage. What the hell am I supposed to do, sit around salons filing my nails all my life?”

“Oh, I understand perfectly,” Yo-ka said. “And it would be a waste if you sat around filing your nails. Even though you have very nice nails.”

They also talked about holidays, and the costumes they'd worn last Halloween. Yo-ka had hosted a party at the palace where he was a vampire and his brother was a zombie. Yuuki had performed that night, covered in a pink, blood-spattered nurse's uniform.

“So if you were going to a Halloween party as a couple,” Yo-ka said, “would you want to have matching costumes?”

“Absolutely,” Yuuki said. “But not necessarily playing characters who are a couple. Maybe something like two oni. Or two ghosts wearing ancient kimono.”

“You've got a deal,” Yo-ka said.

“Do you plan to invite me to a Halloween party?” Yuuki said. “It's a couple of months off now.”

He so wanted to say yes – but he knew damn well he had to be Pledged to someone by Halloween, and that person may or may not be Yuuki. Fuck this Culling shit, Yo-ka thought.

“Maybe,” he said. “But we could always throw a costume ball before this Culling is done.”

Now, Yo-ka placed the ribbons on the rosettes of the guys he knew were going to stay. Down to eight now. After the next city, Pentagon, they'd be down to six. And when we're down that far, he thought, we're going to stop this ribbon delivery stuff. I'm going to go to the two guys I'm eliminating in person and talk to them. At that point, I owe them an explanation.

An aide came into the room. “Don't tell me we can't go to Pentagon, either,” Yo-ka said.

“No, Your Highness,” the aide said. “The advance scouts report back that you're in no danger there.”

“Because I DID eliminate their representative on the second cut, you know,” Yo-ka said.

“They're a Middle District, sir. An Upper Middle District, to be sure, but still Middle. They don't think they're entitled to be at the end like the Upper Districts, you know.” He paused. “But we DO have a problem with the Upper Districts. The Versailles protests have, indeed, spread. They are definitely planning to send a delegation of protesters to the capital when you make your final choice. And there's people saying they won't accept your final choice as Prince-Consort when the time comes.”

“There's no guarantee I'm going to get married as a result of this thing, remember,” Yo-ka said.

“You're going to have to have a Consort eventually, you know,” said the advisor.

“Don't remind me,” Yo-ka said.

He watched the advisor go, and began putting the ribbons into their boxes – the two “no” ribbons first, to get their distasteful presence out of his face.

Yo-ka realized the stakes of this thing had gotten higher. His father had said if he didn't choose someone in this Culling, he would start over again from scratch. But he doubted his father would have another if this failed. No, he'd make good on his threat to make an arranged marriage with a foreign princess.

Either way, if Yo-ka didn't find a soul mate from this, he'd be stuck married to someone he didn't want to be married to, and having affairs on the side to satisfy his needs. Ironically, he'd be going back to the same kind of “carousing” this Culling was supposed to eliminate.

Maybe I can just run away to Royz and get a job on one of those merchant boats Subaru was talking about, he thought, ruefully. But then I'd just be sticking Toya with all this, and I don't want to do that, either.

Everything was riding on his radio interview gamble. If he could turn public sentiment around once they got to know his candidates, the protests would stop, and the chance of him having another Culling if things didn't work out would increase.

If he couldn't, though, he was doomed – and his father would crack down harder on him than ever before. Furthermore, Toya was almost guaranteed of an arranged marriage.

“You're a risk-taker, Yuuki?” he said out loud. “Well, so am I.”

And with everything riding on it – for both him and his brother – the risk had better work out.


	4. Chapter 4 - The District of Pentagon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Culling moves to the town of Pentagon, Subaru faces a double dilemma – how can he keep giving Toya surfing lessons in a landlocked town, and what’s going to happen when he’s forced to partner with his biggest rival on a project where a wrong move could mean going home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skateboards really did start out as a way for surfers to keep up their skills while away from the waves, hence the sport’s alternative name of “sidewalk surfing.”

Subaru and his friends had a private car to themselves on the train to Pentagon. It consisted of two cushioned benches facing each other, with three guys on each bench – and it was wide enough that they were all able to sit comfortably. There was even enough room for the open book that Ruiza was reading.

“Hey,” Hiyori said, “how long do you think our luck is going to hold out?”

“What do you mean?” Subaru said.

“I mean all of us making the cut,” Hiyori said. “The pool's getting smaller and smaller, and there aren't very many guys besides us left.”

“Shows that the prince can't resist us,” Hiro said.

“That's another thing,” MiA said. “You'd think that in a competition like this, everyone would be at each other's throats, right? In fact, I was afraid of that when I came here.”

“Really?” Hiyori said.

MiA nodded. “I thought that it was going to be people backstabbing each other all over the place, making each other look bad, doing everything and anything to get the prince's attention . . .”

At that, Ruiza stuck his bookmark in his book and shut it. “MiA,” he said. “Let's be a hundred percent realistic. When we first came here, did ANY of us think we were going to be the prince's final pick? Did we even think we were going to make it as far as we have?”

“I thought I was going to be one and done,” Subaru said.

“I figured I'd make it through the first couple of rounds,” MiA said.

“I was just going to ride it for as long as I could,” Hiro said.

“But none of us thought we were really in it to win it, right?” Ruiza said. “And I'll tell you why. Not one of us is from the Upper Districts – and throughout the history of this nation, there has NEVER been a royal consort that wasn't from the Upper Districts. Not EVER.”

“How do you know that?” said MiA.

“That's what I've been reading.” Ruiza held up the book. “It's a history of the royal family. Damn, some of Yo-ka’s ancestors were real bastards – it’s a miracle that he’s a genuinely nice guy. I mean, one of the kings was such a son of a bitch that two districts – Gazetto and Alicenine – split off from Veekay and formed constitutional monarchies just to get away from him.”

“What's that?” Subaru said.

“A constitutional monarchy?” Ruiza said. “That's when the Royal Family's role is symbolic – they're still officially the heads of state and considered the embodiment of the spirit of the nation, but the actual running of the country is done by elected officials.”

“Like the district governors?” Subaru said.

“Sort of – but a constitutional monarchy has a parliament. Each district chooses a representative, and they decide on laws amongst themselves. And then the parliament picks one guy from within themselves to be the prime minister – that's the guy who actually runs the country.”

“So what's the idea behind that?” Hiro said. “I mean, how is that better than having what we do now?”

“It ensures all the people have an equal voice,” MiA said. “It means government couldn't turn a blind eye to the Lower-Middle and Lower Districts, because they'd be part of government, too.”

“But getting back to the original topic?” Ruiza said. “You know, why the candidates aren’t killing each other? We went into this with no illusions – so we all decided to enjoy it while it lasted. So, instead of backstabbing each other, we became friends.” He paused. “In fact? It's cool to be able to say you dated a prince, and Yo-ka's a sweetie, but my favorite part of all this has been hanging with all of you.”

“We haven't really spent enough time with Yo-ka to develop any romantic feelings for him, have we?” MiA said. “We only see him on dates. I mean, I'd like to see more of him, sure, but if he picked one of you? I wouldn't be heartbroken.”

“Same here,” Hiro said. “Besides, I’d be able to tell people I hang out with the prince-consort.”

Subaru was quiet. He knew he was feeling something more than all of them were. When he thought about Yo-ka, there was, well, a warmth inside him. He hadn't seen much of him yet, though, but what he did see? He liked. There was potential there, and a lot of it.

But then again, he felt just as warm when he thought about Yo-ka's brother . . . and that, he knew, he really shouldn't be feeling. He was supposed to be here for Yo-ka, not Toya.

“Subaru!” Hiyori said. “Subaru, we asked you a question!”

“Eh?” Subaru blinked.

“We asked if anyone else from Royz had ever been in any royal palaces before,” Hiyori said.

“Oh!” said Subaru. “Um, not that I know of, other than the people who were in other Cullings. And they were just in the main palace and were sent home.”

“Well, then, you've set a record, haven't you?” Ruiza said. “You’ve been in three, going on four!”

“I guess so,” Subaru said. “Sorry, I kind of got dazed for a moment there.”

He looked around at his friends, thinking that he really was going to enjoy every minute with them – because he didn't know how long their time together would last.

* * *

When they got to the palace – which was more of a sprawling mansion that went off in all directions than a true palace – Toya caught up to Subaru in the hall.

“Hey,” he said. “How was the trip?”

“It wasn't bad,” Subaru said. “Being in a private train car makes a big difference.”

“Look, we've kind of got a problem in this town,” Toya said. “As you might have noticed? It's landlocked. We can't have surfing lessons here.”

“Oh,” Subaru said. His face fell. He looked forward so much to being with Toya every day that he wasn't on a date. And now, in a landlocked town . . .

And then, he remembered something from back home, something people did when the tides weren't cooperative.

“Is there a sporting goods store here?” he said.

“I think there is,” Toya said. “But how is that going to help us?”

“There's something I've seen in some of the stores that can help us practice,” Subaru said. “Is there any way I could get an escort to take me there?”

“I'll take you myself,” Toya said. “I think I’m qualified to do that, don’t you?”

Subaru felt a little rush of fluttering warmth. “I guess so – especially after you took us to that izakaya in Charlotte!”

“Tomorrow morning, our normal time, in front of the palace?”

“You've got a deal,” Subaru said.

The Earl had informed them before they left that Prince Yo-ka would be focusing his individual date time this week on candidates who had not yet had a one-on-one. At least it means that Hiyori and Hiro will finally get their quality time, Subaru thought as he arrived in his room.

It was actually kind of scary, the way he was getting very used to this lifestyle. Another week, another palace, another beautifully appointed room. This one even had old-fashioned bedcurtains around the bed. Subaru wondered if they were originally intended to conceal a couple at play while servants wandered in and out of the room.

He found his date schedule on top of the bureau. As he expected, he was on the group date again. I wonder when the next time I'll be able to spend quality time with Yo-ka will be – if ever, Subaru thought.

His immediate concern, though, was his lessons with Toya. He could only hope the sporting goods store had what he needed.

* * *

They met at the front gate of the palace the next morning after breakfast. “Fortunately, it's not far from here,” Toya said. “I asked around – it's a few blocks.”

“Did the staff want to know what the prince wanted with a sporting goods store?” Subaru said.

“They looked at me kind of strangely,” Toya said. “But they've probably heard weirder before, especially if they've worked for royalty for a long time.”

The two of them headed out into the town, which leaned much more toward the European side of their nation's split personality. They passed a row of storefronts that wouldn't have looked out of place in Victorian London, complete with big brass lamps hanging in front of them.

“Why is this district called Pentagon, anyway?” Subaru said.

“It's built in a star shape,” Toya said. “The palace we're staying in – which is also the residence of the district governor – is at the center. And there's five sub-districts, each shaped like a star point, radiating off it. Either someone had a sense of humor, or it's the happiest coincidence ever.”

“You know a lot about every district,” Subaru said.

“Well, like I said, I travel a lot,” said Toya. “And you kind of have to know about your own country when you're a prince of it.”

“Including its history?” Subaru asked as they rounded the corner onto the street where the sporting goods store was.

“Well, yes,” Toya said.

“Do you know about Gazetto and Alicenine?” Subaru said. “The two countries that split off?”

“Way before my time,” Toya said. “But I heard about them.”

Subaru was going to ask about constitutional monarchies, and why the two countries formed them, but Toya said “Oh, here it is,” indicating they’d arrived at their destination.

I'll have to ask later, Subaru thought as they entered. He bowed to the salesperson. “Good morning. Do you carry sidewalk surfers?”

The man gave him a blank look. “Sidewalk WHAT?” he said.

Oh, crap, Subaru thought. This trip was for nothing. “Sidewalk surfers. It's a board with skate wheels on it.” He held his hands out about the length of a small surfboard. “One pair of wheels at each end.”

“You mean a wheelboard?” the man said.

Subaru's hopes brightened. “Yes,” he said. “A wheelboard.”

“Have plenty of 'em,” the salesman said. “Somebody said they were going to be big, but the things aren't selling. You're the first people to ask for them.”

“Really?” Subaru said.

“We'll take two,” Toya said. “So you can use these things to surf on the sidewalk?”

“Oh, yes,” Subaru said. “You use them to practice your balance and maneuvering. You can at least keep up your basic skills until we're near water again.”

The salesman brought out the two boards. “You know how to use them?” he said.

“I do,” Subaru said. “They’re pretty common where I'm from.”

“Well, send your friends from wherever you're from to buy this supply I have before it gathers dust.”

Toya paid for the boards, and they took them outside. “So . . . what do we do with them?”

“First thing is we need to go somewhere paved, preferably without traffic.”

“The park behind the palace, then,” Toya said.

Once they were there, Subaru put his board on the ground. “Okay, you do this. You put one foot on it, like this, and push off with the other . . .” He demonstrated. “And you're rolling. And while you're rolling, you control the board by leaning . . .” He leaned to the left, changing his angle. “Just like you would on a surfboard.”

“You people really are inventive, aren't you?” Toya said. “Surfers, I mean.”

“It's just a part of growing up where I did,” Subaru said. “We make the most of whatever we have.”

“Okay, I'm trying it!” Toya said. He put his board down, pushed off, wobbled, and nearly fell. He righted himself quickly, though, and kept going.

“Hey, wow,” he said. “It IS like sidewalk surfing!”

“You're catching on!” Subaru said. He rolled his own board again, and caught up with Toya. “We can practice with these every day, the same time we'd go surfing.”

“I think I like doing this almost as much as that!” Toya said. He put his foot down to stop the board before it could roll off the road. “I'm glad we can still do this every day.”

“So am I,” Subaru said. “I . . . I didn't like the idea of us missing a whole week.” He added, quickly, “Because I didn't want your skills getting rusty!”

“Yes,” Toya said. “My . . . my skills. Good to keep them up.”

They were both aware that they were blushing slightly, stammering just a little. They both pretended to ignore it.

 

* * *

 

At dinner that night, Subaru heard about Hiyori’s long-awaited date with Yo-ka. “He took me to an outdoor performance by an orchestra,” he said, “and we went for lunch at one of those bistros with outdoor seating.”

“And did you talk about anything interesting?” Ruiza said.

“Lots,” Hiyori said. “Especially my plans for a comedy troupe. He even offered to hook me up with some actors he knows that might want to participate.” He looked around the table. “So who’s up next?”

“Me,” Hiro said. “And I’m guessing that the rest of you are in on the group date.”

“You know what this means, don’t you?” Ruiza said. He looked around to the other side of the room, leaned over, and said, “We’re going to be on the group date with HIM.”

“Yuuki of Lycaon, you mean?” Subaru said.

“Oh, yes,” said Ruiza. “And it’s going to be a smaller group than last time. Basically, the three of us and HIM.”

“And we all know that Subaru hasn’t talked with him face-to-face yet, has he?” Hiyori said.

“Well . . . no,” Subaru said. “I haven’t been on a group date with him yet.”

“We’ll all have to see how this works out, won’t we?” Hiro said.

“Why are you all saying that?” Subaru looked around the table in confusion.

MiA put his hand over Subaru’s. “It’s because he’s the only Upper District person left in this competition . . . and you’re the only Lower District person.”

“Oh,” Subaru said. Damn. He’d forgotten about that.

“We’re going to see Yuuki’s true colors,” Hiyori said. “We’ll find out if he’s a nice guy or a jerk by how he treats you.”

Subaru was suddenly worried. Yuuki was the only person in this competition he considered a true rival – and why he was worried about having a rival at all was silly. Not like he was going to make it all the way to the end – right?

“If he’s jerky to Subaru, somebody should tell Yo-ka about it,” Ruiza said, as the waiters arrived with their second courses.

“I thought we said that nobody was going to backstab anyone?” Subaru said. It seemed that all their earlier talk about everyone being nice dissolved when it came to someone who hadn’t made a particular effort to be friendly with them.

“That’s not backstabbing,” Ruiza said. “That’s warning the prince against a situation he might not want to get into.”

“If it’s a small group, Yo-ka might see it anyway,” MiA said, picking up his fork. “We may not need to tell him anything.”

Quietly, Subaru hoped it wouldn’t happen. He didn’t want to be the cause of any drama – especially any that could cause Yo-ka to send him home.

The longer he stayed here, the more he knew that leaving was just plain not an option.

* * *

As the week progressed, Yo-ka knew damn right well that he was going to choose who was moving on to the next level based on who would sound best on that radio broadcast.

He knew very well who a few of them were going to be. Yuuki, of course. Ruiza and his sparkly personality. Hiyori, the aspiring comedian. And, without a doubt, Subaru. He especially wanted Subaru to be part of the broadcast. Once the public heard what a boy from the lower districts could be like, it would sway their opinion of him . . . of everyone who lived in those places.

And, hopefully, it would also sway the opinion of his father. In fact, it was more important to him that he change his father’s opinion of Subaru – of everyone who wasn’t of the Upper Districts – than it was to quiet the unrest.

When I am king, he thought, I’m going to make sure that the voices of everyone in the nation are heard. I’m going to make sure everyone is equal, no matter where they live, no matter what they do. I just need to find a way to do it.

Meanwhile, Toya and Subaru were spending their mornings practicing on the sidewalk surfers, rollboards, or whatever you wanted to call them. Toya was getting as fond of that as he was of regular surfing – he was even figuring out how to do tricks like sharp turns and spins.

“This is amazing!” he said. “Why isn’t everyone in the country doing this?”

“Not enough publicity,” Subaru said. “You heard the guy in the store. There are people saying that the sidewalk surfers are going to be the next big thing, but nobody is buying them.”

“We definitely need a spokesperson,” Toya said. “Somebody to tour the country demonstrating the things. Somebody that could get attention.”

“That’s you, you know,” Subaru said. “You like to do it, and you’re a prince.”

“Me?” said Toya. “Yeah, right. If I did something like that, my father would . . .”

“What difference does it make?” Subaru said. “You’ve said yourself that your father considers younger princes to be small change. What’s it to him if you have a side career with something you genuinely enjoy doing?”

“Because I’d have to listen to lectures about conduct unbecoming to a prince. Oh, and about the sport being dangerous.”

“Aren’t princes expected to ride horses?” Subaru said.

“You mean, play polo?” said Toya. “Oh, yeah. Most boring sport ever.”

“Well, what’s the difference between polo and sidewalk surfing?” Subaru said. “I mean, horseback riding is dangerous too, right? The horse could throw you.”

Toya hopped off his board and said, “Damn. That's some of the best diplomatic arguing I've ever heard. Maybe we should send you to talk to our father.”

“Me?” Subaru said, hopping off his own board. “Why should he listen to me?”

“Because you sell sidewalk surfing like the guys in your fish shops sell clams and lobsters. And you're a good communicator. And you're cute.”

There was a sudden pause on both sides. Did he really say what I thought he said? Subaru thought. The idea made his heart beat a bit faster.

Meanwhile, Toya was thinking, crap, oh, crap, I shouldn't have said that, that was a total slip . . .

Then, Subaru said, quickly. “Well, I wouldn't get a chance to talk to your father, anyway. Only the top two are going back to the main palace, remember?”

And Toya replied, just as quickly, “You never know.”

As Subaru went back to his board, the idea of being in the top two flashed through his head. It would never happen, of course. Yo-ka would pick someone higher in status than him. But . . . what if it did? He wanted to stay around as long as possible, but suddenly finding himself with a 50/50 chance of being Yo-ka's chosen one . . .

Subaru began rolling very quickly. He needed the distraction.

* * *

In the park surrounding the palace, Yuuki of Lycaon was reclining on a chaise lounge, dark glasses shielding his eyes, wide-brimmed hat keeping the sun off him. He didn't want to get burned – it was habit from being a cabaret performer. It was hell trying to put on makeup on sore skin, and besides, singing wasn't exactly comfortable when you were broiled like a lobster, either.

Part of him kind of wished all this would be over so he could get back on stage. He missed it like hell. Performing was most definitely in his blood – something his aristocratic father never understood or appreciated.

Most of him, though, was happy to be where he was – to his surprise. Yuuki hadn't wanted to be in the Culling any more than Yo-ka had. But his family had pressured him into signing up – which he did to keep them quiet.

They'll pick someone from a higher-ranking family, he thought when he arrived at the meeting with the selection committee. But as it turned out, he was the highest-ranking young man who showed up – and when it came to candidates from upper-class families, wealth and prestige were exactly what the committee was looking for. He was picked on the spot.

Fine, he thought. It'll get my name out there. I might get more gigs out of it.

The last thing in the world he expected when he arrived at the palace was that he would actually like Prince Yo-ka. In fact, Yuuki felt a connection to him almost instantly. Most of that, of course, was because they were coming from the same mental place. They were both sons of wealth and privilege who wanted to forge their own path – despite the objections of parents and other well-meaning-but-ultimately-annoying relatives.

And to his utter surprise, Yuuki found himself hoping that he'd be there until the end, because he wasn't going to let this man get away from him easily.

His biggest competition, he thought, would be Teru of Versailles – so he was utterly floored when the other aristocrat went home early. (The representative of Lunasea was also eliminated on the first cut, but there was a lot less fuss about it – mostly because his father wasn’t there, unlike Teru).

When the group moved on to his own hometown for the second round of the Culling, Yuuki began sizing up the other contestants from the Upper Districts, sure one of them would be his biggest challenge.

Except the representatives from Ekkisu and Bucktick were gone at the end of the second round, leaving Yuuki as the only Upper District candidate there.

He was beginning to see a pattern. The prince clearly craved the company of people who were NOT your typical aristocrats – and Yuuki's unorthodox choice of career was the reason he fit the bill. In fact, Yuuki noticed during group dates that Yo-ka seemed to lavish attention on one group of young men in particular . . .

The group he'd come to think of as The Clique.

They were a gaggle of middle-class boys from districts like Mejibray and Kiryu – not to mention the one genuine Lower District representative that was still around, the boy from Royz. Yuuki had yet to be on a group date with that last one, but he'd heard gossip that Yo-ka seemed especially fond of him. Oh, and there were reports of Subaru being spotted at the beach with the prince's younger brother, too.

What the heck, he thought, could be so interesting about a boy raised by merchant marines and fishermen that two princes would be vying for his attention?

As for Yuuki, he'd made friends there – he was particularly fond of Kana of Codomo Dragon and Mizuki of Sadie, currently the only non-Clique people there besides himself – but for the most part, he kept to himself. (And it also didn't help that the Clique were so insular. They hung out with each other, they ate with each other, and Yuuki quietly wondered if any of the members were sleeping with each other – which would get them kicked out of the competition, pronto.)

He also knew damn well that he was going to be on a group date with most of them at the end of the week – the individual dates this week went to Hiro and Hiyori of the Clique, as well as Kana and Mizuki. That meant he'd be going out with Yo-ka, Ruiza of that ridiculously long-named district whose name started with D, MiA of Mejibray . . . and Subaru of Royz.

So I finally get to meet this boy face-to-face, Yuuki thought. I'll be sizing up the competition, all right.

And if the idea of the other nobles pulling an early exit was a flat-out ridiculous thought, the idea of his possible main competition being a boy from a Lower District was flat-out insane.

No matter. He'd get through it. The group date would be worth it in order to spend more time with the man who'd managed to make a serious dent in Yuuki's heart.

* * *

The morning of the group date arrived. Subaru and his friends had breakfast at their usual table, casting anxious glances across the room to where Yuuki sat with the other two candidates.

“I don't think I've ever been this nervous for a date before,” Subaru said. “Not even the solo ones.”

“It'll be fine,” MiA said. “We just have to, well, play it cool, right?”

“I'm just not used to being around upper-class people,” Subaru said. “Well, okay, Toya and Yo-ka, but they're not really typical upper-class, are they?”

“How would you know that?” Ruiza said. “You just mentioned that you didn't know any.”

Okay, he had a point there. “I just don't know what to expect, that's all,” Subaru said.

And there was the frightening thought at the back of his head that if Yuuki was really as favored by Yo-ka as the others who'd been on group dates with him had said, then any kind of slight or insult to him might result in a one-way ticket out of the Culling.

At the other table, Yuuki was quietly observing The Clique, noticing them glancing over at him.

How the hell am I going to handle this? he thought. I'm not used to being around people from the Lower Districts. Well, okay, I've worked with some musicians who came from those areas – but if they were musicians, they weren't typical Lower District people, right?

The Earl came into the room. “Gentlemen,” he said, “those of you going on the group date, please assemble in front of the palace after you are done. There will be transports to take you to your destination for the day.”

Subaru swallowed the last of his omelette and drained his coffee cup. “Okay, here goes nothing,” he said.

“Let us know how it went, okay?” Hiro said.

“Oh, don't worry, we will,” Subaru said.

“One way or the other,” Ruiza added as they rose from the table and made their way to the front of the palace.

Yuuki left his own table as well, walking a few steps behind the Clique members. And so it begins, he thought.

They were unusually quiet when they lined up. Subaru had to restrain himself from casting nervous glances at the violet-haired man next to him.

I shouldn't let him intimidate me, he thought. In the end, he's just a guy, right?

Yo-ka came out of the palace and joined the group. “Hello!” he said. “Are we all ready to go?” And instantly, the prince noted they were all more subdued than they normally would be. Uh-oh, he thought.

“Ready as we'll ever be!” Ruiza said. Everyone else was quiet.

“Okay!” he said. “Get in the car, then – four of you in the back, I'll be sitting up front next to the driver. It's not going to be a very long ride.”

The driver opened the door. When MiA got in, Subaru quickly scooted in next to him – only to realize the benches were facing each other, and he had Yuuki right across from him. Crap, he thought. Come on, come up with something to say, anything . . .

And he found himself saying, “Breakfast was really good this morning, wasn't it?” Ouch. Well, that was . . . nothing at all.

“It's good every morning,” Ruiza said. “We haven't had a bad meal since we got here.”

The car started to move. Subaru found himself glad for the shifting scenery, for the chance to look at something, anything . . .

Yuuki, meanwhile, was noticing the blond boy's nerves. He's even more awkward than I thought he'd be, he thought. This is going to be one long date.

Fortunately, Yo-ka was right about the ride to their destination not being long. He opened the back door himself. “Here we are!” he said.

The group stepped out onto the curb – and found themselves looking at a storefront. “A bakery?” Subaru said, looking confused. They had just eaten!

“It's not for eating,” Yo-ka said. “Not right away, anyway. We're going back into the kitchen, and the master baker is going to give us a lesson on constructing the perfect cake.”

And then, suddenly, Subaru remembered the conversations with Yo-ka on their solo date. After they'd talked about bowling, they'd discussed learning to bake. So . . . here they were.

You really took it to heart, Yo-ka, Subaru thought. And then, he felt that now-familiar warmth inside him.

They were led back to a room filled with monstrous versions of the appliances Subaru's mother had in her own kitchen – a giant mixer with an enormous rotating blade, a whole wall of ovens, mixing bowls almost big enough to climb into. Presiding over all this was a rotund man with a white T-shirt, white pants and a white apron – probably all the better to camouflage constant dustings of flour, Subaru thought.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome!” the man said. “I'm Hoshino-san. So His Highness said you all want to learn how to make the perfect cake, do you? Well, you've come to the right place. By the time you leave here today, you'll be able to make the most delicious and dazzling cakes you friends and family have ever seen!”

He looked around at the crowd. “So how many of you have made cakes before? None of you? Where are you all from?”

“Lycaon,” Yuuki said.

“Ah, then you probably have your servants make the cakes for you,” he said. “What about the rest of you?”

Yuuki rolled his eyes. Why, why did people always assume that everyone in his hometown was the stereotypical idle rich that sat on their butts and let the paid help do everything? It was, quite frankly, demeaning. He'd lived in his own apartment, without servants, for some time now.

After the introductions, the chef said, “So if you WERE to make a cake, what would be the first thing you'd do?”

“Get eggs and milk and butter out of the fridge?” Subaru said.

“Ah, but that's where you're wrong!” Hoshino-san said. “The first secret to great baking is to use all room temperature ingredients! You don't want to take everything out right before you start – take it out about a half-hour before. Cold ingredients usually result in your cake being tough, and we want it to be light and fluffy, don't we?”

Yo-ka watched from the sidelines as the chef demonstrated the right way to beat eggs, to properly measure both solid and liquid ingredients, to fold the flour into the batter. And his eyes kept dodging from Subaru to Yuuki. He knew very well that this was their first time being together for any length of time – and even with the attention of both focused on Hoshino-san, you could cut the awkwardness with a knife.

He watched as their eyes shifted toward each other, then back to the chef. If they leaned toward each other, they immediately leaned away.

The prince knew what he needed to do.

As soon as the basic lecture was over, he stepped in front of the boys and said, “And now, for the real heart of the activity. I'm going to divide you into two teams, and you're going to have to work together on a cake. When you're done, I'll taste them both and pick a winner – and the winning two will receive their ribbons for the week as soon as we get back to the palace.”

He was already planning to keep everyone in this room for the next round – for the radio broadcast – anyway, so it didn't matter which team won.

“The first team consists of MiA and . . .”

Please let it be me, Subaru thought. Please don't make me have to be partners with . . .

“Ruiza. Meaning the other team is Subaru and Yuuki.”

Both of them suddenly snapped to attention with an “Oh, NO” expression in their eyes – followed by Yuuki narrowing his in a way that seemed to indicate he was contemplating regicide.

“Very well, then!” the chef said. “Let me get you aprons. One team will be over HERE, the other will be over THERE . . .”

Subaru shuffled over to “there” feeling like a man going to his own execution. Yuuki dragged behind him, looking no more cheerful.

“All right,” Yuuki sighed once they were at the table, recipe propped in front of them, ingredients laid out in a neat row. “I suppose we have to do this.”

“How hard can it be, right?” Subaru said, trying to force a smile. “I mean, he just showed us what to do.”

“I'll let you know that I don't know how to bake,” Yuuki said. “At all. And it is NOT because I'm waited on by servants.” He began cracking eggs into the bowl. 

“I didn't think that was the case, Yuuki,” Subaru said, quietly.

Yuuki looked at him, surprised. “You didn't?”

“Well, no,” Subaru said. “I mean, all the stereotypes about rich people don't apply to everyone, do they?”

“Not to me,” Yuuki said. “Now, how the hell do you do the butter and sugar again?”

“I'll handle that,” Subaru said.

“I suppose you do a lot of cooking, where you come from?” Yuuki said.

Subaru started to measure out his ingredients. Here it comes, he thought. The insults, the assumption that everyone in the Lower Districts is a lazy slob, the disdain I got from the staff at the main palace . . .

He chose his words carefully. “We don't all cook,” he said. “There's usually one or two people in a household that cook, and I still live at home, so . . .” He shrugged.

“You do live at home, still?” Yuuki said, before consulting the recipe to see what they were supposed to do next.

“Well, yeah,” Subaru said. “Not that I'm planning to forever, of course.” He beat the sugar and butter vigorously.

“Nobody does,” Yuuki said. “I left home about four years ago. My parents weren't happy about my career choice.”

“Career?” Subaru said. “Oh, sorry. I didn't mean that . . .”

“It's okay. People think that none of us work. That isn't true. We have some very hard-working people in Lycaon – doctors, lawyers, company chairmen – they don't just collect money for nothing.”

“That's like us,” Subaru said. “We work very hard, too – on boats and fishing. And not all of us spend all our off-duty time drinking, either,” he said. He finished creaming the butter and sugar, and started mixing in Yuuki's eggs.

“We're kind of in the same boat, aren't we?” Yuuki said.

“What do you mean?” Subaru looked up from his bowl.

“You're from a Lower District, so everyone thinks you're a ruffian. I'm from an Upper District, so everyone thinks I'm a . . .” He sighed. “Upper-class twit. Yes, I had a musician call me that – he refused to be in my band strictly because he thought I was a 'rich bitch.' This was before he even met me, mind you.”

“Rich bitch?” Subaru began to measure out dry ingredients. “That's like the guards at the first palace calling me one of THOSE people.”

“People like that shouldn't be working for the king,” Yuuki said, stirring the batter as Subaru added spoonfuls.

“So what was this career that your father didn't like?” Subaru said. “You're in a band, you said?”

“I'm a cabaret singer,” Yuuki said. “It's what I wanted to do, it's what I decided to do, and my father's opinions weren't going to influence me.”

“You ARE?” Subaru looked shocked. “But . . . but that's AWESOME!” And here he thought Yuuki was an upper-class jerk. He was actually a cool guy. Very much self-possessed – in a lot of ways, like Yo-ka himself.

No wonder they get along so well, Subaru thought – which made a knot form in the pit of his stomach.

“I wish my family would see it that way,” Yuuki said, ruefully.

“Is that why you entered the Culling, Yuuki?” Subaru said. “So your father would look at you favorably?”

“More to shut him up,” Yuuki said. “He harped on me the moment it was announced. He wanted me to do something a PROPER man of my class would do for once.” He took over the stirring from Subaru. “What about you?”

“I entered it to see things other than my hometown,” Subaru said. “Though I never thought I'd see anything but the palace. I'm so glad I've seen more, though! So many beautiful places, so many experiences, so many great people . . .”

A vision of Toya appeared in his mind's eye. He quickly pushed it away. He needed to focus on what he was doing . . .

“You have your group of friends,” Yuuki said, quietly, trying very hard to conceal his jealousy of that fact.

“Well, yes,” Subaru said. “We just sort of found each other, and stuck together. That's been a great experience, too.” He looked at Yuuki. “Why don't you come over and eat with us sometime? I mean, if we both make the next round?”

That caught Yuuki off-guard. Here he thought they were an insular little group that shunned outsiders . . . and here Subaru was, offering him an open invitation . . .

No wonder Yo-ka likes him, he thought. He seems genuinely innocent and unspoiled. That's a quality a prince doesn’t get to see very often.

And then, suddenly, Yuuki said, “We ARE going to both make the next round. Because we're going to win this contest. Now, let's make this cake the best that we can.”

“You're on,” Subaru said. “Okay, I'll pour the flour, you fold it in . . .”

When the batter of both teams was done, it was put in the oven, and the contestants got a lesson on making buttercream frosting and using pastry bags to apply it perfectly. They practiced on milk cartons while their cakes baked.

While they cooled, the group went into the main part of the bakery, where they enjoyed some of the establishment's other offerings – toasted ham and cheese sandwiches made with thick slices of white bread.

All of them sat together at one big, round table, and discussed their experiences making the cakes – and Yuuki surprised himself by fitting in a lot better with the group than he thought he would. Maybe, he thought, they're not as cliquish as I thought they were.

After their lunch, they went back to their work areas, where the cooled cakes were laid out on wire racks. “Okay!” Subaru said. “This is it! We each take a bag, and let's get this thing looking professional!”

Well, the end result wasn't quite pro – but at least it was frosted neatly and evenly, and Subaru even managed a few icing rosettes. When it was done, the team members high-fived each other. They knew they'd created a damn fine cake between them.

Yo-ka walked up to where the two cakes were laid out on a table. “Don't tell me which team made which,” he said. “Let me decide on my own.”

He tasted a slice of one cake, then the other, going back and forth. Damn, he thought, this is a hard decision. Both sides obviously paid attention to their lessons

“Well,” he said, “This isn’t going to be an easy choice. The bad news is that only one team can win – because you all did an outstanding job. However . . .” He pointed at the rosettes on top of Subaru and Yuuki's cake. “I think these are the deciding factor. So, yes, the makers of this cake are our winning team.”

“Yes!” Subaru and Yuuki yelled in unison, and high-fived again. They were both coming back next week!

“Great job,” Yuuki said. “Your rosettes won it!”

“No, it was the way you mixed everything that won,” Subaru said. “If it wasn't for you, my rosettes would have been on top of a board.”

Yo-ka watched with a quiet smile. The real victory, he thought, is the fact that they're getting along now. They're going to have to . . .

The broadcast was at hand. Just a few more days, now.

As they were leaving, he leaned over and whispered to MiA and Ruiza, “This is a secret, but you're both going to be getting ribbons, too, okay?”

He'd definitely made up his mind about who was moving on. Tonight, after dinner, he'd go talk to Mizuki of Sadie and Kana of Codomo Dragon and tell them, as gently as possible, that they were going home. Enough with the anonymous who-would-or-would-not-get-a-ribbon – eliminations were a lot more personal at this stage.

* * *

Toya was sitting in the royal salon – one of the areas of the palace that was restricted to members of the royal family and staff only (though if he had his way, nothing would be restricted but their bedrooms). He was looking at a map of their next destination – it had been awhile since he'd been to the royal residence at Dauto.

It was right on a beach. Thank God – they'd be able to surf again. He'd really been enjoying the sidewalk surfing, but he was eager to get back in the water and feel the power of the waves again. Surfing was even more enjoyable than he thought it would be.

Stop kidding yourself, he thought. You know that part of why you love it so much is because of your instructor.

Subaru was absolutely adorable, fun to be with, and there was just something about his connection to the waves – it was almost spiritual. If he had known back when he was grouching about having to go along with his brother’s Culling that he'd meet someone like Subaru, he would have been waiting in front of the palace with bags fully packed two days in advance.

Of course, there was the small matter that his cute little surfing instructor was part of Yo-ka's harem – and that his brother seemed to like him as well. Quite a bit, in fact. And he knew that if Subaru was part of the final two and Yo-ka was torn between both guys, he might pick Subaru just to send a message to their father.

I'm not going to worry about that until the end, Toya thought. For now, I'll enjoy every moment I can get with him.

He especially wasn't going to think about the prospect that he might be seeing Subaru every day, all right – but he'd be his brother-in-law.

The door opened, and Yo-ka came into the room, followed by the Earl. “I might as well brief both of you at once,” the Earl said, “once His Royal Highness calms down a little.”

“When I say just call me Yo-ka, that applies to you, too, Earl Ohara. At least as long as my father isn't around.” He sat on the love seat and leaned over, head in his hands.

“Oh, crap,” Toya said, putting down the map and leaping up from his chair. “What happened? Did something go wrong with the date?” Please don't tell me Subaru is gone, he thought.

“The date went well,” Yo-ka said. “Better than expected, in fact. All four guys got ribbons. No, I just had to personally let Mizuki and Kana go. I went to their rooms after dinner and talked to them, told them it was nothing personal, that I was glad to meet them, that I wanted them to keep in touch with each other and with me afterward, but . . .” He looked away. “I figured it would be better for them than being rejected by a guard with an empty box, but it was worse for me.”

Toya sat next to his brother, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “I know,” he said. “This is why this sucks. Well, there's a LOT of reasons, why this sucks, but that's the biggest.”

“I didn't think I'd genuinely come to like any of the candidates,” Yo-ka said. “But the group that I have left . . . I don't know if I'll be able to do it when the next round of cuts comes.”

“Think we can get Father to amend the law so you can marry six guys?” Toya said.

“Yeah, right,” Yo-ka said. “He'd be more likely to swallow a whole jar of hot peppers at once.”

“I'd like to see that,” Toya said. “It would be hilarious.”

“The rules say that I have to send two guys home next week, and one next week . . .”

There was a quiet moment as both brothers contemplated the prospect. Then, Toya said, “Hey – what if you eliminate, but not eliminate?”

“What do you mean?” Yo-ka said.

“I mean, you cut the guys from the competition, and tell them they're not in the running to be your consort anymore and not going on any more formal dates, but give them the option of not going home right away. Remember, there's an extra little guest house on the property at Ekkisu” - the royal residence where they would be spending the final two weeks of the competition. “It's pretty basic and they'll be sleeping on futons instead of a big bed, but at least we have comfortable futons, right?”

Yo-ka paused. “You realize we're taking a gamble with this? If Father finds out about that, we'll both be married off to princesses in the most far-flung countries he can find.”

“He won't find out unless someone tells him,” Yo-ka said. “The king and queen aren't supposed to intervene in a Culling in progress, right?” He looked at the Earl. “Can I count on you to not say anything to my father?”

“Your Highness, this is most unorthodox,” the Earl said.

“So is keeping an entire pool, minus one, of Middle and Lower District candidates,” Yo-ka said. “What is the harm of letting these boys hang out together until the end? I won't be going back to the capital with anyone but the final two – at that point, everyone WILL be going home. But what's the harm in letting them hang out with their friends for an extra week or two?”

“Expense?” the Earl said. “If your father sees an inflated food bill . . .”

“Earl,” Yo-ka said, “how closely does my father scrutinize the bills? He usually has the Ministry of the Exchequer just pay them sight unseen. Besides, I can always give the cut candidates an allowance to go eat in town if necessary, and that comes out of MY pocket, not direct from the royal treasury.”

The Earl shook his head. “You're going to be one hell of a king, sir. I can't wait until you have to deal with foreign governments. Nobody would dare undercut us on a trade deal – you'd outfox them in two seconds.”

“We'll worry about that when the time comes,” Yo-ka said. “Now, is there an update on the Versailles situation?”

“It has most definitely spread to other districts,” the Earl said. “Your father has sent what he calls a 'peacekeeping force' to Ekkisu to make sure it doesn't happen there while you're in residence.”

“Great,” Yo-ka murmured. “Intimidating the people with soldiers constantly marching down their streets. THAT's always good for the public image of the royal family.”

“But yes, there have been major protests reported in Bucktick and Lunasea – which also had their representatives eliminated in the early rounds. They're claiming that the palace is thumbing its noses at them.”

“I'm not thumbing my nose at entire districts just because I didn't want to date their representatives!” Yo-ka said. “That's flat-out ridiculous!

“Try telling them, sir,” the Earl said, dryly.

“Oh, I will,” Yo-ka said. “That's why the nationwide radio broadcast, remember?”

“And your father did make a speech addressing the issue,” the Earl said. “He told the nation that we need to have calm, that nobody has been personally slighted, and that the Palace considers everyone equal.”

“That is RICH coming from him,” Toya murmured. “We'll see what he says if he ends up with a Middle or Lower District son-in-law.”

“The speech did no good, I take it?” said Yo-ka.

“It seems to have had an interesting side effect, though,” said the Earl. “There's talk of counter-protests springing up in the Lower Districts. They're protesting the fact that the rich people are protesting. They say the rich have always had attention paid to them, and it's about time the palace noticed their needs.”

“Lovely,” Yo-ka said, rubbing his head. “I need to make this broadcast more than ever.”

“You really think letting the candidates talk in public will make all this go away?” the Earl said.

“It can't hurt,” Yo-ka said. “The public needs to know I didn't choose these guys for political reasons, or to slight anyone. I chose them because they'd be good companions – for anyone.”

“Very well, sir,” the Earl said. “I'm still not sure how it's going to help in the end, but I will make sure preparations are in place for it – and for our departure in the morning.” He bowed low, and then left the salon.

When he was gone, Toya said to his brother, “Damn. You're just taking risks on every level.”

“I have to,” Yo-ka said. “We're dealing with our father, remember? If I did things his way . . .” He looked out the window. “I wonder how many kings were miserable in their personal lives because they ended up picking an upper-class bride in a Culling, when they really loved someone else?”

“You're not going to have to worry about that,” Toya said.

“Unless Father really does bring his full wrath on our heads,” Yo-ka said. “You know what? The irony of this thing is I thought I'd go into it, go through the motions with the dates and just kick everyone out without a second thought. Now I can't stand letting them go. And as much as this process sucks? I wouldn't have gotten to know any of them without this Culling.”

“You're right,” Toya said. “We wouldn’t have met them otherwise. If either of us as much as brought a middle-class date home, we'd be treated like we'd brought a giant spider into the palace.”

“So, ironically, I got to know these guys because of a father who hates their classes,” Yo-ka said. He draped an arm over his eyes. “I hate having to be grateful to him – for anything.”

“Think of it this way. You are the one who created this pool of guys with your own choices. That had nothing to do with him.” He put his hand on Yo-ka's shoulder. “I'm going to bed, all right?”

“I'll be going in a few,” Yo-ka said. “I'll see you in the morning.”

He looked out the window, thinking, I really am a softie. I can't bear the idea of letting these guys go – and it's not just because I don't want to lose their company. I can't stand breaking up their friendships. That's the real reason I'm taking this risk.

Yo-ka began to wonder, ironically, if his life would be easier if he were a heartless bastard like his father.


	5. Chapter 5 - Radio Days in the District of Dauto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the district of Dauto, the Culling group deals with a new challenge – a radio interview. Meanwhile, Yo-ka is starting to have some thoughts about his country's future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The character of Yazawa isn't based on anyone in particular, even though there's been a few J-rockers with his first name, Naoki.

At the start of their last morning in Pentagon, rather than go to the dining room for breakfast as usual, all of the remaining candidates were asked to go out on the back terrace. “You'll have your meal there,” the Earl told Subaru, “and then we will leave directly for Dauto.”

As soon as he got to his destination, Subaru could see one big, round table – with eight places set. One each for the six remaining candidates, one for each of the princes.

“This is how we will be eating for the rest of the Culling,” Yo-ka said. “All together. It's more of an intimate atmosphere.”

Subaru looked around to see who was left. All of his friends, thank God – and Yuuki. Well, he knew Yuuki would be there, since they won the ribbon together, right?

But that means I'll be losing someone I've gotten close to in the next cut, he thought. Because everyone knows Yuuki probably isn't going anywhere.

“I've also called you all together because I'd like to talk about an activity planned for the next stop,” Yo-ka said. “You are all going to be interviewed on the radio.”

Subaru nearly knocked over his juice. Ruiza dropped a fork. MiA just sat there with his eyes and mouth wide.

“All of us?” Subaru said. “ALL of us?”

“Yes, all,” Yo-ka said. “I know it's not a usual step – in Cullings of the past, the last few candidates may have done a newspaper interview, but that was it. But . . .”

“Not much about this Culling has been usual,” Toya said.

“Well, yes,” said Yo-ka with a sheepish grin. “Not very much has been typical, has it? I decided I wanted the public to get to know you. To be able to see what I see in all of you. I think it, well, would humanize this whole process a little.”

“In other words, you want to show the world that you're not dragging around a bunch of vapid toyboys,” Yuuki said, dryly. Everyone laughed.

“Something like that,” Yo-ka said.

Toya leaned over and said in a stage whisper, “EXACTLY like that,” and everyone laughed again.

“We'll talk more about it before the broadcast airs,” Yo-ka said. “Make sure you wear something nice that day, even though it's radio, because there might be photographers, too.”

“Well, this is another first,” Ruiza said. “I've never been on radio before.”

“I have,” Hiro said. “Some guy was doing man-in-the-street interviews back home in Fest, and he asked me about the new tax levels. I told him just wait a few days, they'll go even higher. I didn't want to say what I was REALLY thinking.”

Subaru had something to distract him from thoughts of what inevitably would happen at the end of the week - because right now, he was occupied with the idea of being on radio. He wondered if his friends back home would be listening. They must have been keeping up with the news of the competition, they'd know that Subaru was still there, still a participant.

He glanced across the table at Toya, who was gently chiding his brother about allegedly having “a face for radio” - even though Yo-ka was one of the most gorgeous men in the country.

And I still am here with both of them, still hanging out, he thought. That was probably the best thing of all.

* * *

As they were headed for the cars to the train station, Subaru leaned over and whispered to Toya, “Big question – are there waves where we're going?”

“There are,” Toya whispered back. “But I'm a bit nervous about getting back on a board after a week off one.”

“You'll be fine,” Subaru replied. “You kept your reflexes up with the sidewalk surfing, remember?”

The train ride was a lot shorter than some of the ones they'd taken – and the residence they arrived at was, like the Pentagon one, more of a sprawling estate than a true palace, a mansion that seemed to have been built in a T-shape. The horizontal bar consisted of a wide front porch, a front foyer that opened onto a parlor, the kitchen and dining areas, and a large conference room, which Yo-ka said would be used for the radio interview.

The stem of the T was made up of a corridor of bedrooms – a large one for the Earl at the front, followed by a half-dozen smaller rooms for guests – in this case, the candidates. In back was a large area of greenery and gardens, which opened onto . . . yes, a beach. One corner of the garden held a smaller house, where the two princes would be staying.

“Since there are six of you now,” the Earl told his charges after they unpacked, “the normal procedure at this stage is for His Highness to have one individual date with each of you this week.” He held out a bowl. “There are six pieces of paper there. Everyone chooses one, that is the day of the week you will date the prince.”

“What about the radio interview?” Subaru said.

“The interview is 8 p.m. Wednesday night,” the Earl said. “Whoever draws Wednesday will have his date early enough so you can get back in time for the show.”

Each of the candidates put his hand in the bowl and pulled out a paper. “Monday,” Ruiza said. “I go tomorrow.”

“I got Wednesday,” Hiro said, sounding a bit disappointed. He had the pre-radio date.

Subaru unfolded his own, and read THURSDAY. Well, that was good, wasn't it? Not too early in the week, not too late . . . he'd have a few days to get back on the waves with Toya . . .

And he was more than a little aware that was his first priority right now.

* * *

The dining room consisted of a large, oblong table with one prince seated on either end and three candidates on each side. Subaru was in the middle, between MiA (seated closer to Toya) and Ruiza (sitting nearer to Yo-ka).

“This morning at breakfast was the first time we've all been together like this,” Yo-ka said. “I mean, we've been on group dates, but we haven't all been on them together . . .”

“I sure haven't. Far as I know, there's rules against dating your brother,” Toya said, and everyone laughed.

“But I'm glad for the chance,” Yo-ka said. “I'm going to be honest with you all – I'm enjoying this process a lot more than I thought I was going to. When my father told me I was going to have a Culling, I dreaded it, but . . .”

“But you picked a fun group of people,” said Hiro.

“You have good taste!” Ruiza added.

“I'm not arguing with that,” Toya said – and Subaru couldn't help but notice the younger prince was glancing in his direction as he said it.

“So, honest feedback,” Yo-ka said. “How have you guys been enjoying the dates?”

“I've had a lot of fun,” Subaru said. “Especially the cable car ride.”

“No complaints here,” said MiA.

“I have to say I liked the last group date,” Yuuki said.

“The baking contest?” Yo-ka looked surprised.

“It's not something I get to do very often,” Yuuki said. “And I had a good partner.”

Subaru smiled widely at that one. Yuuki still wasn't fully assimilated into their group yet, but at least the ice seemed to have cracked somewhat. “I had a good partner, too!” he said.

“Okay, honest feedback?” Ruiza said. “I love the dates. Really. And I love the places we've been staying. But the train rides? They make me very glad I'm carrying a good book.”

“Aren't you done with that thing yet?” Hiro said.

“It's a very big book,” Ruiza said. “Hey, there's been a lot of royals.”

“You're reading about the history of my family?” Yo-ka said.

“Take those books with a grain of salt,” Toya said. “No, the whole shaker. A lot of them are written by people with an axe to grind.”

“What kind of people?” Subaru said, suddenly interested.

“Certain branches of the nobility who think that THEY should be on the throne instead of us,” Yo-ka said. “A few of them even tried to get various provinces to secede because they wanted to be rulers so badly. Only a couple of them succeeded.”

“Like Gazetto,” Ruiza said.

“Oh, is that the one you were telling us about?” Hiyori said. “The one with the constitutional monarchy?”

“I'm amazed you remembered that,” Hiro said.

“Hey, I AM capable of remembering big words, you know,” said Hiyori.

“Okay, refresh my memory on how that one happened,” Yuuki said. “I remember hearing about it in history class, but that was awhile ago.”

“Well, there was a Grand Archduke who was a cousin to King Kisaki,” Ruiza said. “He got into a big blowup with his cousin over the way the government should be run. He thought the common people should have more of a voice, King Kisaki insisted on keeping an absolute monarchy.”

“Our family doesn't talk about King Kisaki very much, by the way,” Toya said. “He's not one of our more popular ancestors.”

“So the Grand Archduke finally decided he'd had it, and the district of Gazetto seceded and became the Grand Duchy of Gazetto. And they installed a parliament, with representatives of every town and city, and that parliament picks the prime minister of the country from within its members.”

“They still have that same form of government?” MiA said.

“Oh, yes, they do,” Toya said. “Grand Archduke Kai is still the nominal head of state, but the country is really run by Prime Minister Ozaki and the Parliament of Senate and Congress. Or, as the Gazettians call it, the PSC.”

“He must have an easy job,” Hiyori said. “Just collect the king salary, grand archduke salary, whatever, and let the parliament do all the work!”

At the other end of the table, the Crown Prince sat quietly, deep in thought.

* * *

Yo-ka walked out of the conference room where the radio interview was being set up. He was feeling very good about everything that was happening right now.

His first two dates, with Ruiza and MiA, had gone well. Both of them were most definitely getting ribbons this round. He knew, increasingly, that this was more about “cool hangout time” than anything truly romantic in most cases – but he was enjoying it.

He was also happy with Yazawa Naoki, the radio interviewer who was going to be conducting the sit-down – who praised Yo-ka's attitude toward the Culling. “I like how you're using this interview as an opportunity to connect people, after all the divisiveness that's come out of the early rounds,” the host said. “Really, it's all foolish.”

“Have you seen the protests?” Yo-ka said. “I've only heard about them through my advisors.”

“Oh, yes, yes,” Yazawa said. “And that's why I say it's foolish. Really, the aristocracy needs to get over itself and remember that a Culling is supposed to mean choosing from a pool representing EVERY district in this country, not just the higher ones.”

“What about the counter-protests?” Yo-ka said. “The ones in the lower districts?”

“Haven't seen them yet,” Yazawa replied. “At least first-hand. But I can tell you why it's happening.”

“And why is that?” said Yo-ka.

“They're sick and tired of the aristocracy's entitlement complex, that's why. Because the Upper Districts have the Crown's attention all the time, the Middle Districts get shunted to the side and the Lower Districts, well . . . they might as well not exist.”

“My brother goes to all the districts to collect reports from the governors,” Yo-ka said. “He makes sure he brings ALL the people's concerns to our father.”

“In-person? I mean, does he sit down with your father and talk to him about it?”

“Are you kidding?” said Yo-ka. “Why would my father resolve anything with a conversation when paperwork could be involved? No, my brother dictates a report to one of the secretaries, and then she types it up, and she brings it to my father, and . . .”

“And most likely, he buries it under a pile of more paperwork,” said Yazawa. “Believe me, Your Highness, I've known your father awhile, I know how he works. And I've also been out in the streets and seen the frustration of people who think they're not being heard.”

Now, Yo-ka walked out of the broadcast room. He had to get ready for dinner and make a few arrangements for tomorrow's date with Hiro, but first . . . he needed to speak to one of his assistants.

He walked into his office, where a young man just out of college, his face covered with owlish glasses and his body by a severe business suit, was working at a typewriter.

“Motoki,” Yo-ka said, “I have a special mission for you. It may seem odd, but . . . I need you to do some research.”

The young man leapt up from the desk and bowed. “Whatever you need, Your Highness,” he said.

“I want you to find out the following figures, for the most recent year you can, for the Duchy of Gazetto: Total per capital income, annual gross income per person, and total job satisfaction. Heck, see if you can find statistics for total life satisfaction overall. And then, I want you to find out the same figures for our own nation.”

The young man looked baffled. “Sir?”

“Please don't ask why I need them,” Yo-ka said. “Just get them for me – and I need them by the time the Culling ends and we go back to the main palace.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Motoki said. “I will have them well before then!” He rushed out so fast that he nearly knocked over a plant.

Yo-ka watched him go. He knew the super-efficient assistant was the right person to get what he needed. And once he had those figures in hand, he'd see if the idea he had forming in his head was truly worthwhile.

* * *

The candidates assembled in the room where the radio broadcast was going to take place about an hour before airtime. “Welcome, all of you,” Yazawa said. “Come in, don't be shy. Nobody's going to hurt you here, you're among friends.”

“Well, it's just that none of us have been on radio before,” Ruiza said. “Except Hiro, and that was for a man-in-the-street interview. Maybe Yuuki has.”

“Well, yes, I have, but that was just a brief interview to promote a show,” Yuuki said. “I've never done something full-scale like this before.”

Subaru was just looking at the microphones set out on the table. He'd seen those in photographs plenty of times – with movie stars, royalty, and foreign dignitaries speaking into them. Yet another thing that usually didn't happen to a boy from Royz.

“Let me explain what's going to happen,” said Yazawa. “I'm going to open by talking to His Highness, then I'm going to have him introduce you. I'll ask each of you to tell me a little bit about yourselves – your names, where you're from, what you do, maybe hobbies. Then I'll ask a few general questions just to give everyone more of a feel for who you are. And don't worry, I will NOT ask anything embarrassing – or at least not anything you don't want the people back home to hear.” Everyone laughed.

“This really is part of the Newsmaker show? Meaning it's going out nationwide?” MiA said. “I mean, to stations in every district?”

“Every single one,” Yazawa said. “Even if you live way at the tippy-top of the country, your friends can hear it. Now, I'd like every one of you to sit by your mikes so I can check your sound levels . . .”

Yo-ka came in when the candidates were finishing their tests. He did a test of his own, and said, “Guys, make me proud of you. I know you'll be able to do it.”

“Do any of us get an extra date if we do REALLY well?” said Hiyori, and everyone laughed again.

When the time came, Yazawa's engineer, who had been listening to commands from the main studio in the capital through his headphone, said to the group at the table, “We're going live in 30 seconds!”

“All right,” Yazawa said, putting on his own headset. “Quiet everyone . . . in five, four, three, two, one . . . Good evening, everyone, I'm Yazawa Naoki, and welcome to a very special segment of Newsmakers. I'm here with His Royal Highness Prince Yo-ka of Valluna and the young men who are vying for the position of his Prince-Consort in a traditional Culling. It is a great pleasure to have you here, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Yazawa-san,” Yo-ka said. “The pleasure is all mine.”

“Now, for the benefit of those who aren't quite sure how it works, could you please explain the Culling process?” the announcer said.

“Well, a Culling is a gathering of young men from every district in the country who make up, shall we say, a dating pool for me to choose from,” Yo-ka said. “Every week, some young men get cut from the pool, until I have two left – and from those two, I choose the one I will be Pledged to for the next six months. If that works out, we move on to an engagement, and if it continues to work out, he becomes Prince-Consort. Right now, we have six lovely young men in our group, and any one of them would make a great Consort. My job is going to be tough.”

“Why have you chosen to do this interview?” Yazawa said. “Traditionally, princes and their Culling groups have stayed isolated during the process. In fact, to my knowledge, you are the first prince to do a radio interview with his group.”

“Well, they didn't exactly have radio during the days of King Miyavi, did they?” Yo-ka said, causing the group at the table to laugh. “But seriously, I thought it was important that the public get to know these young men. I know some might be questioning the decisions I make during the process” - an indirect reference to the controversies - “and I want people to see how I arrived at them.”

“Without further ado, then, let's meet these young men, shall we?” the interviewer said. “Starting at my right, and going around the table.”

The one to Yazawa's right was Yuuki. “Hello, I'm Yuuki of Lycaon. As you can imagine from that description, I was raised in an upper-class district, but I've always been a person of an independent mind. I'm a cabaret singer – not because I need to be, but because music and performing are my passion.”

“I'm Hiyori of Kiryu, and performing is my passion, too.”

“We seem to have a theme here,” Yazawa interjected. “What kind of performing do you do, Hiyori?”

“I'm a dancer in a traditional troupe back home. But what I really want to do is . . .”

Subaru sat listening to the others, thinking, what am I going to say? My career isn't interesting like theirs. How am I going to come off sounding good?

The last person before him was MiA, who talked about his guitar playing – and then, it was Subaru's turn. Here goes nothing, he thought.

“Hi, I'm Subaru of Royz,” he said. “I'm a surfer. Okay, that's not what I do for a living – but I'd like to! No, I work for a tugboat company back home, and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to do this, because I'm seeing so many things I've never seen before!”

“You work for a boat company, but you haven't seen much?” Yazawa said.

“Well, tugboats don't go very far,” Subaru said, and the group laughed.

“All right, a question for you all,” the host said. “Now, we know that the Royal Consort usually does not make policy directly, but can have an influence on it. Say you are in that position – what is one issue that you would like to bring to the table for discussion and action?”

“Arts programs for youth,” Yuuki said. “I think the Crown needs to devote more time and funding to instruction and materials for our kids – especially in regions where the parents can't necessarily afford private lessons. There's so much potential out there that's being undeveloped.”

“Preservation of traditional culture,” Hiyori said. “It's probably a big deal to me because I come from Kiryu, but in some of the places we've visited? I've seen the old traditions slipping away. I think young people need to learn more about their traditional art, music and dance, because that's where we're coming from. That's our roots as a people.”

Hiro started talking about support for small business owners trying to get their companies off the ground, which moved on to Ruiza talking about preserving open space . . . and once again, Subaru found himself wondering what he was going to talk about. He really shouldn't feel a gap between himself and his friends. They were all the same on the inside – they just had different cultural experiences, right?

He held that thought, and began expanding on it as MiA talked about increased educational opportunities, so everyone who wanted to go to a university could. And so, when it was his turn, Subaru was ready.

“The issue I'd bring to the table,” Subaru said, “is understanding, compassion and equality for all in this country.”

“Oh?” said Yazawa. “Well, that's an interesting one – can I hear more about that?”

“I'm from what most people would call a lower district,” Subaru said. “And when I first came to the capital for this Culling? I heard remarks about that. But really – why do we divide this country into Upper, Middle and Lower districts? I mean, the work that ALL of us do is valuable, right? Everyone in this country contributes to keeping it running, whether it's the CEOs in the Upper Districts, the managers and small business owners in the Middle Districts, or the people who harvest food in the Lower Districts. Royz provides seafood for the whole country – how is that any less important than what everyone else is doing? I think what I'm saying is, well, we all matter. And I want everyone to understand that.”

There was silence around the table for a long moment. And then, Yazawa said, “His Highness is right. You really are fascinating young men. All of you. Now, I'm going to ask you a much lighter question – what has been your favorite place you've visited so far?”

In a parlor of the palace, Toya sat with a radio. He wasn't going to get directly involved in the interview – he didn't want to interfere with his brother or the candidates – but he most definitely was going to listen. And when he heard Subaru's statement about equality, he felt his heart swell.

There's a lot more to you than a surfer from Royz, Subaru, he thought. A whole lot more.

* * *

The day after the interview, Yo-ka and Subaru had their date. The car took them to a boardwalk at the seaside, where they strolled together, sharing an order of takoyaki and watching seagulls diving for pieces of bread thrown to them by kids on the sand.

“The interview went really well,” Yo-ka said. “Spectacularly, in fact.”

“You think so?” Subaru said. “I just kind of winged it.”

“You winged it very well,” Yo-ka said, sitting down on a bench. “You're a quick thinker.”

“Kind of have to be when you surf,” Subaru said. “The waves are always changing underneath you.” He looked over at Yo-ka and smiled. “I'm glad we did it, though. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but it was a lot of fun.”

“It was fun, wasn't it?” Yo-ka said. “And you guys really had some good thoughts about what government should be doing. Maybe I'll hire every one of you to be my advisors.”

“Only if we can travel around like this when we're advising you,” Subaru said. “I've gotten way too used to this.”

“I'm not going to spend my life in one palace, believe me,” Yo-ka said. “I'm not going to be a stick in the mud so wrapped up in the idea of being the be-all and end-all of the country that he forgets about the people around him.” Looking out at the water, wistfully, he added, “I'm not going to be my father.”

“Yo-ka?” Subaru said, looking a bit worried. “Yo-ka?” He waved his hand in front of the prince's face.

“Oh, sorry,” Yo-ka said. “Just thinking about something.” He tossed the empty takoyaki box into a trash can next to the bench. “Hey, there's a bowling alley about a block from here, I think. Want to bowl a game?”

“You bet I do,” Subaru said. “But I'll bet you want to even more.”

“You're not kidding,” Yo-ka said. He stood up – and offered Subaru his hand. Subaru gladly took it. They continued to hold hands as they headed toward the bowling alley.

What I was just imagining, Yo-ka thought, is a very different future than the one I think my father has in mind.

* * *

The closer the end of the week came, the more the reality that nobody wanted to face snuck up on them.

They knew what their numbers were now. They also knew it was highly unlikely Yuuki was going home – he and Yo-ka were both all smiles when they came home from their date, as usual. Which meant that two of them were being eliminated and sent home.

All of them had chosen to just not think about it – for the first part of the week, they'd focused on the interview, and once that was over, they just made the most of their time together. Every afternoon, there was a volleyball game on the beach with whoever wasn't out on a date at the moment.

By dinner on the final night, however, there was no avoiding it any longer. They knew this was their last meal as a group. And so, they all came to the table with long faces.

Yo-ka saw their mood. He had been planning a sit-down with them after the meal to explain his decision – but he knew he had to do it now. They weren't going to be able to make it through the meal otherwise.

“Everyone,” he said, “I know what you're all thinking. I have to make eliminations tonight. I know you've all gotten used to being together. I've gotten used to it, too. I want you to know that I've enjoyed the company of each and every one of you, and I want us all to stay in touch after this is all over. I came here to find a mate, and . . . well, I'm not saying whether or not I have yet, but one thing I've definitely found is friends – and you've found friends in each other.”

There was silence around the table. Here it comes, Subaru thought. He's going to eliminate two of us on the spot. What if it's me? What if I'm going back to Royz tonight? What if I'm never going to see any of them . . . well, until we have the reunion he was talking about? What if . . .

His eyes strayed over to Toya, and he felt his heart sink to his feet. The idea of not seeing him again was painful.

“And that's why,” Yo-ka said, “that I've decided . . .”

Subaru swallowed hard. He didn't want to hear what was coming, didn't want to hear, didn't want to . . .

“. . . that nobody is going home.”

Ruiza, who was drinking from his wineglass, nearly choked. Hiro dropped a fork. MiA looked like he was going to fall face-first in his plate.

“There's officially going to be two eliminations, of course,” Yo-ka said. “But I'm not sending those guys home. You'll all come with us to the final stop before the end, where we'll spend two weeks. The eliminated two will stay in a guest house instead of the main house, and will not have any dates with me – but you'll still be able to stay with your friends. When I take the final two with me to the capital, the other four will all go home at once.”

“Yo-ka,” Subaru said, quietly, “won't you get in trouble?”

“What my father doesn't know won't hurt him,” Yo-ka said. “Our staff is being told I decided to keep all the last group because I don't want to risk anyone going to the press about the inner workings of the Culling. Not that I don't trust you guys. I do. But I do need a cover story.”

“You're going to announce the eliminations to the public?” MiA said.

“I have to,” Yo-ka said. “But the eliminated guys will get a chance to call their homes and explain what's going on. Give them the story about keeping you there for secrecy purposes.”

“There's a precedent for that, by the way,” Toya said. “Our mother said that during my father's Culling, the fourth place finisher went and blabbed to the press the moment she was let go. Purely out of sour grapes, of course.”

“So, there it is,” Yo-ka said. “I'll go around to all your rooms later tonight and tell you whether or not you have a ribbon – but we'll all be on a train in the morning. It's just that the two eliminated won't be in a private car with the rest of us – but I'll at least make sure you have tickets in the first-class car.”

“Yo-ka,” Yuuki said, softly, “that's . . . that's incredibly generous of you. Really. Especially since it's unprecedented.”

“I couldn't NOT do something like that,” Yo-ka said. “I sort of wish that instead of just picking a mate, I could bring you all back to the palace with me to be my permanent group of friends. My court, so to speak.”

“Maybe there's a way that can happen, someday,” Subaru said – struggling not to look at Toya again.

The group was able to finish their dinner in much better spirits than they began, and afterward, they all headed for their rooms. Subaru's bags had been packed by the staff already – his nightclothes, toiletries and one outfit for tomorrow had been left out.

I've definitely gotten way too used to this, he thought. At least I know I'll still be doing this for two more weeks.

And then, his stomach sank again. Only two weeks . . . two more weeks with Toya . . . and then I'll either go home, or . . .

He sank down to the bed. Could he truly do it, if Yo-ka picked him? At the beginning of the competition, he would have thought he wanted nothing in the world more. But now that he'd gotten to know Toya so well, spent so much time with him . . .

A knock interrupted his thoughts. He opened the door to see Yo-ka, ribbon in hand.

“Hi,” Yo-ka said. “You've earned this with every bit of your heart this week. Your performance in the radio interview? It was so far beyond what I expected, Subaru.”

“Thank you.” Subaru walked over to Yo-ka and spontaneously hugged him. “And thank you so much for letting everyone stay. You're truly a good person.”

“No use in breaking up the gang, huh?” Yo-ka said. “I don't want anyone to be unhappy – not when there's more competition left.”

“Yo-ka,” Subaru said, quietly, “may I ask who the two officially eliminated were?”

“Hiro and Hiyori,” Yo-ka said. “Nothing against either of them, but their position in my life is definitely as my friends. They've both been told already, and they called their families. Hiyori said his family's really proud of him – he made it further in a Culling than anyone in Kiryu's history – and they said any of you guys are welcome to visit Hiyori at home any time.”

“Well, then, I'm going to say thank you two times over,” Subaru said, “because I'm not ready to say goodbye to either of them yet.” And he suddenly realized he'd still been hugging Yo-ka this whole time. He quickly eased back from him. “Sorry . . .” he said.

“For what?” said Yo-ka. “For hugging me?” He took his hand. “Subaru, that is the last thing you should be sorry about. We're dating, remember?”'

“You're dating everyone else, too,” Subaru said.

“Well, yes,” Yo-ka said. “But, well . . .” He squeezed the hand. “I'm just really glad I got to know you. You're a special guy. Really.”

“I'm glad I've gotten to know you, too,” Subaru said. And he was very much aware of the nearness of the other man, and the fact that they were in the entrance to his bedroom . . .

Yo-ka quickly dropped his hand and stepped back. “I have a couple of other ribbons to deliver,” he said.

“Yes, you should,” Subaru said. “Don't keep the other guys in suspense.”

“I'll see you tomorrow, okay?” Yo-ka said.

He left, the door closed, and Subaru slowly moved over to his bureau, picking up his rosette and attaching the new ribbon.

Only two hooks left, he thought. I'm very close to being in the final two.

He dropped the rosette and flopped down on his bed, thinking how he'd felt when he and Yo-ka were close – the sudden rush of heady excitement, of heart-pounding desire. It was just compounding his confusion earlier about how he'd feel if Yo-ka told him he was the one.

Not to mention that in the back of his mind was a pang of guilt – as if he were being disloyal to Toya. But how could he be? Toya wasn't the one he was officially with – right?

* * *

Yo-ka went back to his office after delivering the final ribbon, where he was met by the Earl. “Your Highness, this is most irregular . . .”

“I know it's irregular, Earl Ohara,” Yo-ka said. “But I can't see the point of breaking up a group of friends with two weeks to go. Besides, I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to prevent press leaks.”

“And yet, you had the boys speak on the radio,” he said.

“Yes, about themselves,” Yo-ka said. “Not about the inner workings of the process. Has there been feedback on the broadcast, by the way?”

“It seems the protests in the wealthy areas have calmed somewhat,” said the Earl. “Whether that's a direct result of the broadcast or they're re-grouping or planning their next move, I'm not sure. But reactions to it in the Middle Districts seems to have been overwhelmingly positive – especially after the companion piece appeared in the newspapers, with the pictures. Apparently, the young girls have been picking out which of the candidates is the cutest.”

“What about the Lower Districts?” Yo-ka said.

The Earl looked confused that he'd even ask such a thing. “The Lower Districts, sir?”

“Any reaction there?” Yo-ka said.

“We didn't even try to get that information, sir,” the Earl said. “We didn't think it would be of much use, really.”

“I still have a candidate from Royz, remember,” Yo-ka said. “Never mind that for now.”

Of course, he thought, the Earl wouldn't think the Lower Districts matter. But I do. Especially now.

* * *

In the district of Royz, Subaru's old friends sat around their regular table in their favorite bar, listening to the weekly announcement of who did and did not advance in the Culling.

“Goddamn, he made it AGAIN!” Kuina said. “This is unbelievable!”

“He's how close now?” Tomoya said. “They've got three left? Four?”

“Four,” Koudai said. “The prince cuts one person this coming week, then one guy the next week, and then he picks from the final two.”

“It's unbelievable,” said Tomoya. “Seriously – this is the most attention anyone from the Palace has ever paid ANYONE from Royz. They usually pretend we don't exist.”

“And that's precisely why this boy matters,” said a voice behind them. They turned, and saw Captain Hotori – the captain of one of the biggest merchant boats in town. In fact, it was his boat that had brought Subaru to the capital.

“So what do you mean by that?” Koudai said.

“I mean, we've been neglected by the Crown for years,” Hotori said. “Lower Districts like us? Feh, we're scum to them. Our infrastructure is falling over and we need money to fix it? Not coming from them. We need more doctors for our citizens? No help from the Palace. Need more police trained? Falls on deaf ears. And meanwhile, those bastards in the Upper Districts – who get anything they need – have the nerve to whine and bitch because their boy got cut from the Culling in the first round. Well, now the tables are turning. It's OUR boy who's getting close to the throne. And the closer he gets, the more the chance that we will finally matter!”

“We need to make SURE that we'll matter!” yelled another voice, approaching the table. Kuina recognized the guy as Ohbuchi-san, one of their co-workers in the tug company. “If those rich assholes can threaten to go to the capital and demonstrate? So can we! If Subaru can get the attention of the throne, so can we! Hell, if he's in the final two, they'll have no choice but to pay attention to us, right?”

He pointed to the captain. “Tell you what – that boy makes the final two, we're ALL gonna go down there in a group! We're gonna make noise and wave signs and march in the streets and they won't be able to dismiss us as some poor bastards from Royz, because, guess what? One of the two guys the prince will be picking from will be from Royz, too!”

“Um, we don't know he's going to get that far yet . . .” Kodai said.

“If he does, are you with us?” Ohbuchi said. “Are you going to go to the capital? Are you going to DEMAND our voices be heard? Demand POWER TO THE PEOPLE?”

“YES!” shouted one of the guys at the surrounding tables. “Power to the people!”

“I'm in!” shouted another voice from across the bar. “I am SO in!”

“Me, too!” another man yelled.

Kuina leaned over and whispered to the others, “Good God – is this a revolutionary movement forming around Subaru?”

“He hasn't even gotten to the top two yet!” Kodai said.

“Looks like he'd better, now,” Tomoya said. “These guys are getting fired up!”

By the end of the evening, the bar was filled with men stomping and waving their beers in the air, shouting, “POWER TO THE PEOPLE!” and just waiting for Subaru to get the official nod from the prince so they could swing into action.

And meanwhile, the object of their revolution was arriving at his new destination, completely unaware of what was brewing back in his old hometown.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Royal Retreat at Ekkisu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Culling is down to the final four as they arrive in the district of Ekkisu. Subaru is facing the harsh reality of looking at the end of the best time of his life and is more tangled in his feelings about the two princes than ever. Plus, the boys learn a salacious tidbit about Cullings of the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series as a whole was inspired by the TV series The Bachelor, and the matter of the Pavilion of the Heart comes from the part of the series that I find the most repugnant – the so-called Fantasy Suite, which takes place at the same juncture of the competition it once did in the Culling (when there’s three candidates left). Hometown Dates, mentioned by Yo-ka here, is also a stage of The Bachelor.

The Crown Prince's traveling party – at least the four young men who were still officially in the contest – pulled up in front of the final residence they would be staying at, the Royal Retreat at Ekkisu.

“This looks different than the others,” MiA observed as the boys got out and stood on the curb, looking at what seemed to be a normal house, not a palace. Okay, it looked like a wealthy person's house to be sure – a tall porch with four columns, behind which were floor-to-ceiling windows. But it was still a house.

“Well, we're down to only four of you now, you know,” their driver said. “Three at the end of this week. Besides, this house ain't the whole complex. There's a few smaller buildings behind it. You'll see.”

“Including the one that Hiro and Hiyori are staying in,” Ruiza whispered to Subaru. Obviously, nobody had tipped off this driver about Yo-ka's plan that nobody was going home.

They walked into the entranceway, to find both princes and the Earl already waiting for them. “Welcome,” Yo-ka said. “This is one of my family's summer vacation homes. It's usually used as a retreat when one of us needs a complete break from royal business for a few days.”

“Kings can take a vacation?” Subaru said.

“Not really a vacation,” Yo-ka replied. “They're still on-call for if something really goes wrong. But, yes, my parents do come here for a few days and leave me in charge of the day-to-day business. Meaning they make sure anything important is done before they go.”

“As you can imagine,” the Earl said, “with only four of you, there will be one individual date for each of you this week and two group dates. One group tomorrow, then the four individuals, then another group. At the end of the first week, the prince will announce his final three. During the second week, those young men will have two individual dates each, and finally, the last two will be chosen. They will return to the Capital with myself and the princes, where the final choice will be announced in a ceremony in front of His and Her Majesties. The chosen one gets the collar and becomes Prince Yo-ka's Pledged, with the possibility of becoming the Crown Prince Consort if things work out.”

“No pressure or anything,” Toya said, and the candidates all laughed.

“Furthermore,” said the Earl, “I will remind you that when the Prince chooses his final two, you are ALL going home except the ones moving on to the capital. We've taken the most unusual step of having last week's eliminated contestants stay with you . . .”

“Hi, guys!” came a voice from the doorway. They turned to see Hiro and Hiyori, no longer wearing their rosettes, since they were no longer candidates.

“Our train pulled in right after yours,” Hiro said. “We got a cab here.”

“Good thing we had these,” Hiyori said, holding up the badge around his neck that identified him as “Official Culling Staff” - which Yo-ka had given them before they left. “Cabs aren’t allowed to take people here without royal ID.”

“Hi!” Subaru said. “We were just being briefed. We're going to be busy, it seems.”

“Candidates, your rooms are on the corridor to the left,” the Earl said. “There is a sign on each door with your name. Your luggage is there already, along with your schedules. And I'll show our two guests” - the Earl let out a big sigh, making it obvious he still wasn't happy with the whole keeping-discarded-candidates-around thing - “to where they are going to be staying.”

Once he left with Hiyori and Hiro, Toya came up to the four candidates. “Once you guys are settled in,” he said, “meet me back here. We'll go out back and pick up the other two and I'll give you the tour of this place.”

“There's a tour?” Subaru said.

“You'll see,” said Toya. “It's got a pretty interesting history.”

Subaru smiled at him as he went toward his room. Two more weeks before it’s all over, he thought. Only two more weeks . . .

* * *

When the group re-gathered in the front parlor, Toya had already collected the two ex-candidates. “It didn't take long to settle in,” Hiyori said. “We're in a guesthouse right outside of this building,”

“There's a bunch of little buildings,” said Hiro. “You could probably host a house party here with about a hundred people.”

“Not a bad idea,” Toya said, “but we'll save that for after the Culling. No, I want to show you guys something.” They headed toward the back of the house, down a corridor lined with offices and meeting rooms, then past the kitchen, where staff was already at work on dinner.

“This place has always been used for the last round of the Culling,” Toya said. “It used to be that the prince didn't come here until he'd picked his final three – and it was here that he really made the decision that narrowed the three down to two.”

“What do you mean?” MiA said, as Toya led them out a back door and down a short flight of steps. They found themselves in a vast courtyard that was shaped like a hub-and-spoke wheel. Around the perimeter were the little buildings that Hiyori and Hiro had talked about – small facilities for accommodating staff and potential guests, with a path running from building to building.

At the centerpiece of the courtyard was a single small building, painted white, with purple curtains visible in its windows. Its facade was covered with the same elaborate “gingerbread” accents as the seaside houses they saw way back in Lycaon.

“This,” Toya said, pointing to the center building, “was the proving ground. The old servants said its official name was the Pavilion of the Heart. But they had another name for it – the Hump and Dump.”

“WHAT?” Subaru and MiA said in unison. Ruiza started laughing. Yuuki just facepalmed.

“You see,” Toya said, “the current rule that the Prince can't have sex with anyone until he picks his Pledged? That's actually really recent. As in, it was put in place for my father and his siblings. Before that, the prince had sex with all three of his final candidates, and that formed the basis of his ultimate decision. So, yeah, one candidate slept with him and then was dumped – probably because he or she didn’t meet the prince’s playmate standards.”

“But . . . but that's . . .” Subaru said.

“Cruel?” said Toya. “Degrading? Exactly. It's why my father insisted that stage be removed from the Culling procedure. Now, the prince still comes here for the final round, but no sex happens. At least, not until after the Pledged is chosen. Then he brings him or her back here for their first few days together.”

They walked toward the “Hump and Dump,” and Toya opened the front door. “Come in,” he said. “I'll show it to you. One of you will be coming here with my brother anyway.”

The group stepped in, one by one. Subaru glanced around. There was a large fireplace, a couple of overstuffed chairs, and . . .

At the center of the room was an enormous bed, a four-poster with a canopy and retractable curtains. It was covered with a royal purple comforter, and piled high with what seemed to be a small mountain of pillows.

“Whoa,” Hiro said. “I could definitely sleep in that.”

“He just told us that it’s not for sleeping,” Hiyori said.

“And there's also bathing facilities,” Toya said, leading the group over to the next room, which sported a massive, round tub, not to mention a shower area that was big enough for two people to stand – and move around – in easily. At one end was a seat built into the wall. Subaru doubted it was for people to sit on while they washed.

“This is impressive as hell,” Yuuki said. “But really, a whole building just for a honeymoon after you get Pledged?”

“Well, like I said, this is a royal retreat, so I'm guessing it gets used whenever a royal couple wants action,” Toya said. “Except I do NOT want to think about my parents coming here.”

“Nobody wants to think about that,” MiA said. “Nobody.”

Subaru glanced from the bed to the shower and back again. Imagine, elaborate facilities made expressly for lovemaking, for a couple to be together . . . it was definitely not like anything back in Royz, where couples did it wherever they could.

And he really had to get the image out of his head of himself and Toya on that bed, entwined in passion . . .

* * *

The group date the next day was a grand tour of Ekkisu. The four remaining candidates rode in a limo, with Yo-ka sitting up front next to the driver, giving them narration through an open window.

“Ekkisu is one of the oldest settlements in this country,” Yo-ka said, as they drove down a narrow street lined with equally narrow – and tall – houses, painted bright colors. “It was the birthplace of King Yoshiki himself. These houses that you're looking at have been here for over 300 years. People who move into them sign a pledge that they will not alter the design of the structure in any way.”

“What's that statue over there?” Ruiza said, pointing to a man in traditional dress, arms upraised. “Is that King Yoshiki?”

“That's his son, King Hide,” Yo-ka said. “He was said to be a very well-loved king, but unfortunately, he died young.” The car rounded a corner into a business district. “This part of town is more modern. You can see the differences in the architecture. A lot of the original town was destroyed in an earthquake and fire – which is why you see mostly stone used for the buildings now, to reduce the fire risk.”

They passed a group of young people on a corner – and one of them caught a glimpse of the occupants of the car. She pointed to her friend, and both of them turned toward the car, waving and smiling – and one of them yelled, “Good luck, guys!”

“We've been recognized?” Yuuki said.

“The article that was written after you did the radio interview appeared in almost every newspaper in the country,” Yo-ka said. “With photos. So, yes, people do recognize you now.”

“They . . . do?” Subaru felt a little uncomfortable at that.

“There's interest in this Culling, remember,” Yo-ka said. “The people want to know who's going to be their new Prince-Consort.”

“There’s a betting pool, remember?” Ruiza said.

Yo-ka turned toward the back, frowning a little. “I really hate the idea that people bet on this,” he said. “It isn't a horse race. You guys are human beings. And it isn't a RACE, either.”

When the tour was complete, they stopped at a little inn on a rock overlooking the ocean for lunch. Subaru took notice of the height and speed of the waves. He hadn't had a chance to surf here yet. He had to make sure his student could handle them. Toya was making impressive progress – but he was still a novice.

Just two more weeks, he thought. And that's on days when I'm not with Yo-ka. Which means three days we can’t have lessons this week, two next week . . .

“Suuubaru!” said a voice next to him. He jumped and turned toward the group. There was a sea of faces looking at him, not to mention a waitress with her pen poised, waiting to take his order.

“Oh!” he said. “I'm sorry. Just . . . just thinking about . . . things.” He grabbed the menu and ordered, quickly, then settled back into his seat.

“Thinking about the waves?” Yo-ka said.

Subaru gave a sheepish smile. “Well, yeah,” he lied.

“Thought so,” the prince said. “I've learned so much about things I never thought I would from you guys. This has been a good experience for me – really. I just wish that it wasn't a Culling, you know?”

“You don't have to think of it as that if you don't want to,” Yuuki said. “Just think of it as a hangout.”

“Well, I do need to name somebody as my Pledge at the end of this,” Yo-ka said. “Or, I could name nobody – but that just means starting all over again.”

“I'll bet it would be possible to have a Culling without a Culling,” Subaru said. “You just have a caravan of people from different districts traveling around the country together and all getting to know one another. Call it a Friendship Express or something like that. It would be fun.”

“And if anyone happens to fall in love, so much the better?” MiA said.

“Something like that,” said Subaru.

“Yo-ka,” Ruiza said, thoughtfully, “have your parents ever told you what their Culling was like? I mean, I'm guessing they met in one, it wasn't an arranged marriage?”

“They met in a Culling, all right,” Yo-ka said. “And they've never talked about it. All I know is my mother was the representative of Lunasea, and my father said he had his eye on her from the start.”

“At least, then, you know he married her because of feelings, not just because she was from Lunasea,” Ruiza said.

“It's hard to tell with him sometimes,” Yo-ka said. “He's not exactly good at showing emotions – other than being a stick in the mud.”

Later on, when they were leaving the restaurant, Yo-ka watched his four remaining candidates headed for the car, laughing and talking. His thoughts were similar to the ones Subaru had before – that there were only two weeks for them all to be together, and that made him sad.

To think I was dreading this at the beginning and I just wanted to kick every one of them out, he thought. Now I don't want to say goodbye to them. I just want to keep every one of them around – somehow.

Although it was becoming increasingly clear in his mind which were his final two.

* * *

Subaru was scheduled for the second individual date, which meant he got to give Toya a lesson in between. “You are making so much progress!” Subaru called as Toya glided effortlessly toward the shallow water. “I can't believe you couldn't stand up on a board just a few weeks ago.”

“That's because I had the best teacher,” Toya said, hopping off the board and walking onto the sand with it under his arm. “You should set up a surfing school when this is all over, Subaru.”

“I don't want to think about this being over,” Subaru replied, coming out of the water as well. “And it's not. Not yet.”

“But would you consider the surfing school?” Toya said. “It's really what you were born to do.”

“Maybe if I had a business partner,” Subaru said as they headed toward the spot on the sand where they'd laid out their blankets. “I don't think I could fund that kind of thing myself.”

“What if I offered to be the partner?” Toya replied, sitting down on his blanket. “What would you say to that?”

“Can you do that?” Subaru said. “I mean, are you allowed to by law, given . . . who you are?”

“If I'm not? I can be a silent partner,” Toya said. “They can't question it if they don't know who I am. It's just that, well . . . you were meant to be so much more than a tugboat clerk, Subaru. You have a gift, and you should share that gift.”

Subaru looked away. A tugboat clerk, he thought. It's felt like eons since I was at work. I don't even feel like the same person I was then. If I went back to Royz, how would I feel? Would I be able to get up and go to work every morning again?

“I'd love nothing more than to share surfing with other people,” he said, quietly. “But – you probably know that, don't you?”

“Of course,” said Toya. “So it's a deal, then?”

“It's a deal!” said Subaru. “We're going to be partners.”

They didn't ask, of course, about the logistics of that happening, if Subaru was back in Royz and Toya was back in Charlotte. That was a reality that they didn't want intruding right now.

And meanwhile, Toya was thinking, if I'm his business partner, if we're doing something together, at least that's some small way that I'll be able to hold on to him – even if he's with my brother . . .

* * *

Subaru's date with Yo-ka the next day involved them going out in the water on a small yacht, accompanied only by a captain and a couple of staff members.

“I've asked them to take us out where we can see dolphins,” Yo-ka said. “There's apparently a lot of them out here.”

“Apparently?” Subaru said. “You haven't been out here before?”

“I've only been out here before with the whole family,” Yo-ka said, “and my father isn't exactly the going-out-to-see-dolphins type.” He sat on a folding chair at the side of the boat, gesturing for Subaru to sit beside him. “I'm getting to do a lot in this process that I ordinarily wouldn't do.”

“This has been an experience for both of us, hasn't it?” Subaru said.”Yo-ka, what are you going to do when this is all over?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, are you going back to the main palace? Are you moving into your palace at Valluna? Do you have to go back to day-to-day prince stuff?”

“You mean, tons of paperwork?” Yo-ka said. “I think I'll get somewhat of a break on that. My main priority in life over the next six months is building a relationship with the person who gets chosen as my Pledged.”

“Are you going to live with him, then?”

“Him?” Yo-ka said, teasingly. “That could very well be you, Subaru.”

“It . . . could?” Subaru became aware that his heart was pounding. Was it from excitement? Fear? Both?

“Of course,” Yo-ka said. He leaned toward the blond. “No matter what happens from here on in, I'm glad that I got to know you. It's not every prince that can say he dated a cute little blond surfer.”

“I think I'm the only surfer who can say he's dated a prince,” Subaru said, realizing his tone was breathless, that he couldn't take his eyes off Yo-ka, that the whole world seemed to have shrunk down to the two of them, to the feel of breeze on their faces and the scent of the ocean and the nearness of one another.

“Well, then, we've both had the experience of a lifetime, haven't we?” Yo-ka said, leaning in toward Subaru, as if to kiss him.

“I'm hoping it's not just once in a lifetime,” Subaru replied, feeling like his voice was coming from a million miles away instead of from inside him. It was like they had stepped outside reality, they were quite literally in a world of their own . . .

And then, there was a noise of a loud splash off the side of the boat, bringing them back to reality.

“Oh!” Yo-ka said. “Dolphins!” He stood up and turned around. “Look, Subaru, there's a whole school of them, you can see them right here!”

Subaru stood up beside the prince, and looked over the side of the boat at the creatures breaching the water, swimming rapidly in formation. He still felt a bit shaky and breathless. It was the closest they'd come yet to kissing.

“There's more coming,” Yo-ka said, standing behind his date and wrapping his arms around his waist. “See? They're over there, and they're swimming toward the boat.”

Subaru leaned back against him, feeling the warmth of the other man's body, thinking he could get very used to this, yes, he wouldn't mind this being his reality for the rest of his life. He wasn't even thinking of the man who was holding him as a prince anymore – just a really sweet guy.

In fact, if Yo-ka had asked him to the Pavilion of the Heart right now, if that was allowed, he knew he'd go – willingly.

Then why was there a tiny little pang of guilt in his heart – as if he were being unfaithful to someone else?

* * *

The rest of the week passed way too quickly. When you want something to last forever, when you know you're coming up on the end of the best time you ever had in your life, that's when time slips away from you like grains of sand.

That's what was happening to Subaru right now. He just wanted to grab this extended moment and stick it in a bottle and keep it with him forever. He wanted to hold onto every one of the group's casual meals together, where they bantered about things like what kind of car they'd buy if they could get any one they wanted or where the best spot on the royal residence grounds was for stargazing (since there was supposed to be a comet in view over the next couple of days). He wanted to preserve the volleyball games he played with his friends on the beach, the lazy moments where Subaru just lay around listening to MiA and Ruiza as they tried to write a song together – MiA providing the melody, Ruiza the lyrics. (Yuuki even told them he'd perform it when they were done).

But most of all, he wanted to hold onto every moment with Toya. Watching the other man navigate a tricky wave successfully for the first time and punching his fists in the air in triumph, hearing him laugh after he tripped over a piece of driftwood and stumbled around, teasing him gently when he admitted to still keeping a favorite childhood toy in a cabinet in his bedroom . . .

If only this were his Culling, Subaru thought sometimes. But then, we wouldn't have so much time to spend together, would we? He'd be the one having to follow the strict date rules.

At the conclusion of the second group date of the week – which was a bonfire on the beach, during which Yo-ka and his remaining candidates roasted marshmallows and sweet potatoes – the prince told them, “Okay, guys – remember, nobody's going home, but I have to make one official cut, and I'd rather do it tonight.”

“Right now?” Ruiza said, before pulling a marshmallow out of the fire and blowing on it.

“No,” Yo-ka said. “When we get back. And I'm not making anyone move to the guest house tonight, either. The person can stay in the main house.” He paused. “And I've come to another decision. One thing I'm allowed to do in this Culling is grant titles of nobility as I see fit. Usually, that's only done for the first, second and third place finishers, and they get the highest title that's currently available in their district.”

Subaru knew well the five basic titles of nobility used by their nation – Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount and Baron. These could, of course, be modified with “grand,” “arch” or “grand arch” prefixes if someone decided a region needed even more nobility.

Royz, of course, had never had a single noble, so running out of titles definitely wouldn't be a problem for him.

“I'm looking into what noble titles are available for each of you,” Yo-ka said. “You'll all be getting one.”

“Really?” MiA said, looking shocked. “ALL of us?”

“Yes,” Yo-ka said. “You deserve them.” And it's also to stop my father for saying I'm hanging around with riff-raff, he thought. How can they be that if they all have titles?

“That's really generous,” Ruiza said. “No, that's FABULOUS! I'm going to have a title! WOW!”

Subaru just gave Yo-ka a smile. “Thank you,” he said. “I'm grateful. I really am.”

Yo-ka just looked at the young man and thought, Subaru, don't worry. You're going to have more than a title, if I have anything to say about it. You'll never have to deal with a single tugboat ever again.

* * *

As it turned out, the one cut at the end of the week was Ruiza. He took it well – especially since, as he'd stated before, he'd never expected to win, and was still thrilled to death at the idea of having a title. The next morning, everyone helped him move out to the guest house with Hiro and Hiyori.

“All right,” the Earl told the three remaining candidates. “Here is your schedule. Like I said when we first got here – two dates this week for each of you. Remember, this is your last chance to impress His Highness and earn yourself a trip back to the main palace.” He held out a bowl with three folded pieces of paper. “Each of you pick one. There's a number on every paper. If you get one, your dates are the first and fourth days. If you get two, the second and fifth, and . . . well, I don't need to go further.”

Yuuki got 1, Subaru got 2, MiA got 3. Subaru was quietly planning out his final week here in his head – lesson with Toya, date with Yo-ka, two lessons with Toya, date with Yo-ka, and then . . .

Their final lesson. After which he'd either be pledged to Yo-ka and therefore off-limits to Toya, or back in Royz behind a tugboat company desk.

Don't think about that, Subaru, he told himself. Just focus on the days you have left with him. And, hey, think about the positives of being back home. You want to see Kuina and Kodai and Tomoya again, don't you?

He realized that he did – but he also couldn't stand the idea of no longer seeing MiA, Ruiza, Hiro and Hiyori on a daily basis. And dammit, he'd miss Yuuki, too.

Things were pretty much normal on that first day, though. Yuuki left for his date, Ruiza and MiA went off to work on songwriting, Hiro took off with the royal family book he'd borrowed from Ruiza – and Subaru went out on the beach with Toya.

“We're going to work on refining your style these last couple of days,” Subaru said. “By the end of the week, we may even be able to try you on a longboard.”

“A longboard?” said Toya. “Wow, I'm impressed. I really have come a long way, haven't I?”

“You've earned it,” Subaru said. 

When they sat on the sand after their lesson, Toya said, “You know, we really do have to get serious about that business proposal.”

“You think so?” Subaru said.

“I know so. We both have to think about our future after this week, right?”

Subaru looked down. “I don't want to think about it.”

“Why not?” Toya said. “It could be a very bright future, you know.”

“I don't want to think about . . .” Subaru drew a deep breath. I almost said that I don't want to think about being off-limits to him, he thought. “Not having my friends around. I mean, they have to go back to their own lives, don't they? Hiro's family needs him back at the ice cream shop, Ruiza has to go back to the perfume business, Hiyori's dance group has been making do without him . . .”

“You'll see them again.” Toya suddenly leaned over and impulsively hugged Subaru. “You'll see them all again.”

Subaru closed his eyes, drinking in the warmth of that hug. It didn't last long, just a few seconds, but still . . .

I wish he could hold me like that, he thought, and never let me go.

He took a deep breath and tried to bring lightness into the situation. “Maybe we could bring everyone into our business somehow,” he said. “I mean, I don't know how perfume and ice cream would go along with surfing and rollboards, but . . .”

“Cross-promotion?” Toya said. “Buy a board, get a voucher for free ice cream?”

“I like that idea!” Subaru said. “And they can serve as spokespeople, too.”

“Why do we need an outside spokesperson?” Toya said. “We have the perfect one right here.”

“You?” said Subaru.

“No, you. You're adorable. And the public knows you now, due to the radio broadcast.”

“I don't know if I'm spokesman material!”

“Trust me,” Toya said. “You are.” He leaned a bit closer to Subaru. “I've dated guys who were models before, you know.”

“You have?”

“Well, yes. When you're a prince, you kind of get to meet everyone. So, yeah, I met a couple of models and went out with them – and, well, those guys have a certain quality. A magnetism. You can tell why they're in front of the camera. You have the same quality, you know.”

“Why didn't you keep dating any of those guys?” Subaru said, feeling a bit light-headed and bedazzled by the fact that Toya had told him he had a model's magnetism.

“Because they had model quality – but they didn't have enough heart. That's what I've needed more than anything – someone with a lot of heart. And I just never found anyone like that, until . . .” He suddenly caught himself and looked away. “Well, I just kept picking the wrong guys, that's all,” he said, quickly.

Subaru wanted to ask if he had that quality, too – if he had the kind of heart Toya was looking for. But the words died in his mouth – because he was afraid of what happened if he asked them. What would be scarier at this point – a no answer, or a yes?

Instead, he said, “All right, I'll give you this – I'll do one photo campaign with the surfboards and we'll see how that goes. Okay?”

“Perfect,” Toya said. “I know just the guy to take the pictures, too.”

As they headed back to the house to dress and get ready for dinner, Subaru quietly thought, one lesson down, three to go . . .

* * *

Yo-ka and Subaru's date the next day involved a trip to a street called the Ekkisu Art Walk. “The local artists set up booths along the street where you can view their works,” the prince said. “You can see some of them in the process of creating, too.”

It was a fascinating thing to see, to be sure. There was everything there from very modern artists who painted in abstract styles – some maybe a bit too abstract, Subaru wondered if a couple of the things he saw on display were used drop cloths put out there by mistake – to very classical ones that produced such precise replicas of people and scenes that it was hard to believe they weren't photographs.

“I like that one,” Subaru said, pointing to a seascape that was painted in an impressionist style – you could tell at a glance what it was, but it was also abstract enough that it had something of a surreal, dreamy quality.

“I had a feeling you would,” Yo-ka said.

“It captures the soul of the ocean, you know? The way it feels, inside and out.”

“That's important to you, isn't it?” Yo-ka said. “To be near the ocean.”

“I'd have a very hard time living somewhere that was landlocked,” Subaru said.

“So, to you the concept of 'home' has to include the ocean?”

Subaru nodded. “Probably a good thing that so much of our nation is near a beach, isn't it?”

“The capital is near the ocean,” Yo-ka said, quietly.

Subaru froze. Is . . . is he telling me that he's thinking of choosing me? He thought. How do I answer that . . . 

“I . . . I could live there,” he replied.

“Good,” Yo-ka said, reaching around Subaru's waist and giving him a squeeze. “You just might.”

After they were done going through the Art Walk, they went to an outdoor cafe, where the waiter complimented Yo-ka on his good taste in companions and Subaru blushed redder than a tomato. After they'd given their orders and the waiter poured them glasses of wine, Yo-ka said, “Subaru, do you know what this round of the Culling used to consist of?”

Subaru choked on his wine, his eyes nearly bugging out. Oh, my God, he thought, oh, my God, is he asking me to . . . he's not allowed to, is he? And if he is, do I want it? He's attractive – flat-out beautiful, in fact . . . but can I? Would I? And what about Toya . . .

“Subaru!” Yo-ka said, leaping around to the other side of the table. “Subaru, are you okay?” He patted his date's back. “Oh, no . . . you don't think I meant the Pavilion, do you?”

Subaru looked up at him, still choking a little. “Somebody . . . somebody told us about . . .” He didn't want to tell Yo-ka that his brother was the somebody.

“The so-called Hump and Dump?” Yo-ka said. “I wouldn't do that to you, Subaru. I wouldn't do that to any of you. To command someone to have sex with you, and then dump him flat afterward . . . that's the height of heartlessness. No, I meant the round before that. It used to be called Hometown Dates. The prince would meet the families of all his remaining candidates – in their hometown, if at all possible.”

“Oh,” Subaru said, looking considerably relieved.

“And I'm wondering what would happen if we still did that, and I met your family.”

“Well,” Subaru said, “my mother would be thrilled as hell that someone was interested enough in me to want to meet my parents. She'd probably give you every kind of food and drink imaginable. My father would probably want to talk to you man-to-man – in other words, he'd want to figure out what kind of a guy you are and whether you'd break my heart. My brother would just think you were a cool guy and would want to hang out with you. But, you know, my three best friends would insist on meeting you, too.”

“And how would they react?” Yo-ka said. 

“Well, they'd probably give you the third degree,” Subaru said, picking up his glass and swirling the wine. “They'd want to make sure that you were worthy of me. Of course, once they were satisfied that you were, they'd treat you like the greatest guy in the world. They'd probably drag you out to one of the bars to meet the locals.”

“And I'd like to meet them,” Yo-ka said. “I think I need to understand more about where you live – about the places where everyone lives. I want to make sure everyone in the country gets fair and equal treatment when I'm king.”

“You will,” Subaru said. “You'll make a great king – because you have a truly good heart.” He put his hand over Yo-ka's. “You'll be the best king we've ever had.”

“I don't know,” Yo-ka said. “We've had some pretty good ones.” He covered Subaru's hand with his own. “But I'm going to at least try.”

“I have faith in you,” Subaru said.

“It's probably going to be a way off,” Yo-ka said. “My father isn't about to retire anytime soon.”

“Well, then you have time to be what you want to be, don't you?” Subaru said. “You can go bowling. Hang out in izakayas. Just be Yo-ka, not the Prince of Valluna. Because, well . . .” He looked down. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course, Subaru. You can tell me anything.”

“When I first met you, I thought of you as The Prince. And, well, I found you intimidating because of that. But after I got to know you, I stopped thinking of you that way, and I just thought of you as Yo-ka. And that's how I'm always going to think of you.”

“And I'm going to tell you something in return,” Yo-ka said. “I've always thought of you as Subaru – just Subaru, not Subaru of Royz. You're not defined by where you came from. You're defined by who you are. And who you are is someone any man would be happy and honored to have in his life.”

Subaru looked down, blushing. “Thank you. Thank you so much. That's . . . that's the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me.”

“You do deserve it, you know.”

Subaru was very much aware that they hadn't moved their position – their hands were still on top of each other, they were still looking into each other's eyes . . .

Fortunately or unfortunately, their food arrived at that moment. They leaned back slowly from one another.

What would have happened, Subaru thought, if the waiter had come a few minutes later?

* * *

The next day, he met Toya on the beach as usual. “Just what do you do on the days when I'm out with your brother, anyway?” Subaru said.

“I practice, of course,” Toya said. “I come out here by myself and go surfing. And on the days you were all on the group dates? I rounded up Hiro and Hiyori and we went into town together. We found a place that makes great green tea slushies with red bean paste.”

“Put a bug in your brother's ear about that place,” Subaru said. “I have one more date with him.” He thought about the previous day, the date with Yo-ka, that moment when they had felt close to each other . . .

Why does it feel different than the closeness I feel to Toya? he thought.

After the lesson, they talked casually about the green tea slushie place Toya had gone to, and Toya said, “The heck with putting a bug in my brother's ear about it, I'm taking you myself.”

“You are?” Subaru suddenly brightened.

“Oh, yes,” Toya said. “MiA's on the date today, right? So we can get Hiro and Hiyori and Ruiza – and Yuuki, if he wants to go, too . . .”

He's taking everyone, Subaru thought. Not just me. Now, come on, why would he? It's not his Culling. It's not his dates. He's just along for the ride.

“All right,” Subaru said, keeping the brightness in his voice. “They shouldn't be hard to find.”

Sure enough, everyone was eager to go – even Yuuki. When they were all sitting together at the table, Yuuki even gave one of the waitresses his camera to take a picture of the group together.

“I need to invite you all to one of my performances when this is over,” Yuuki said, spooning up the green tea slushie.

“Where do you perform, usually?” Subaru said.

“All over the place, really,” Yuuki said. “Most of my dates are around Lycaon, of course, but I also have performed in the capital, and in a couple of the districts around there.”

“You can perform in Charlotte if you want,” Toya said. “I know a lot of the club owners.”

“Yuuki,” Hiyori said, “are you going to keep performing if, you know . . . you're chosen?”

“Of course I am,” Yuuki said. “It's who and what I am. I'm not going to give it up for anyone or anything, and Yo-ka knows this. He likes the idea, too.”

“Wow,” Hiro said. “I wish I had something in my life I loved as much as that.”

“Well, really, would any of you give up who you were if you were chosen?” Yuuki said. “Hiyori, would you give up dancing? Subaru, would you give up surfing?”

“No!” Subaru said, looking flat-out horrified at the very idea.

“Nobody's going to make you give that up,” Toya said, putting a hand on Subaru's shoulder. “You're not Subaru without it.”

“You can put a crown on my head, but you're going to pry the microphone out of my cold, dead fingers,” Yuuki said.

“Damn, I love this group,” Hiro said. “We're the most un-royal group of royal candidates there ever were.”

“You're not a candidate anymore,” Ruiza reminded him.

“Neither are you,” Hiro shot back. “None of us are except Subaru and Yuuki. If Yo-ka wasn't such a good guy? I'd be back to scooping chocolate marshmallow right now.”

“You have chocolate marshmallow?” Subaru said.

“We created it,” Hiro said. “That's the part of the business I like best – creating new flavors.”

“Isn't that kind of scary, Subaru?” Hiyori said. “Knowing you're this close to being chosen?”

“Hey, Yuuki is just as close as he is!” Hiro said.

“I'm not scared at all,” Yuuki said with a shrug. “From now on, whatever happens, happens.”

Subaru thought about the question a moment. Was he scared? He glanced over at Toya – and felt his heart turn to liquid.

I'm scared, he thought. But not of rejection. No, I'm scared of never seeing Toya again.

But he looked at his friends, pasted on a smile, and said, “What Yuuki just said.”

* * *

Reality set in the next day when Subaru was on the way to the beach. He passed a couple of members of the staff, who were arranging train travel four days from then.

“We'll send the whole group from here to the Central Hub,” the staffer was saying, referring to a major transportation center. “From there, they will all get trains to wherever they're going.”

“Do we know which ones we're transporting?” the other one said.

“We know it's the boys from Fest, Kiryu and D – since they're not supposed to be here now. As for the other one? We have no idea. His Highness hasn't tipped his hand. But I'll tell you this – if I'd told you at the beginning of this that we were possibly looking at a guy from Royz being one of the two finalists, I'd have told you that you were certifiable.”

Subaru swallowed hard and ran the rest of the way to the ocean. Toya saw his face as he arrived. “Subaru?” he said. “What's wrong?”

Subaru let out a deep sigh. “I hadn't heard a remark like that in weeks . . . since we were in the capital . . .”

“Did someone say something to you?” Toya said. “Something about where you're from?”

“Not to my face,” Subaru said. “I . . . I overheard it, when they were talking about sending everyone home . . .”

“Damn,” Toya said, pulling Subaru into his arms. “Subaru, don't listen to that talk. Ever.”

“It's . . . it's just hearing them say that, and then talking about everyone going home . . . I didn't want to hear either . . .”

“We've still got a couple more days, remember,” Toya said. “We're going to have fun. Now, let's go out to the ocean, okay? You're going to be the best Subaru you can be and ride those waves like your life depended on it, and the hell with what everyone says.”

Subaru snuggled against him. I wish it could be like this forever, he thought. I wish he didn't have to let me go.

“All right,” he said. “Let's go out there. I might even show you some of my fancier tricks today. But that doesn't mean you should DO them, remember.”

“I bow to the master in this case,” Toya said.

They held hands as they went out to the water, and held hands again as they came back in, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


	7. Chapter 7 - The Final Two Are Chosen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the last few days of the Culling, Subaru and Toya have an unguarded moment – which just happens to be witnessed by a certain person . . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The district of Ekkisu is named after X Japan - Ekkisu is, of course, X in romanized Japanese.

When Yo-ka and Subaru left the royal retreat for their final date together, at least in a Culling setting, Subaru felt a slight pang in his heart. Another finality, another step toward this experience coming to an end.

They got into a car that took them outside the boundaries of Ekkisu proper. “Where are we going?” Subaru said.

“To a fair in the next town over,” Yo-ka said. “I asked myself, what kind of date would Subaru most appreciate? And this popped into my mind right away. Because it's just pure fun.”

Subaru smiled, widely. “You've gotten to know me well.”

“Have you gotten to know me well, too, Subaru? You said last time we were out that you think of me as Yo-ka now, instead of the prince.”

“I think I have,” Subaru said. “I know you're someone who has a lot of love inside him – not just for a significant other, but for his friends, his brother, and his country. And you'll fight to protect all of them. Also? You like cake and bowling, and you tend to set your marshmallows on fire and then frantically blow them out. And you love melon soda.”

“You noticed that?” Yo-ka said.

“You always drink wine with dinner like a prince is expected to do, but you always have a glass of melon soda off to the side,” Subaru said.”

“You really did pay attention,” Yo-ka said. “I like that.”

When they arrived at the fair, Subaru was actually very glad his companion had chosen it. Yo-ka was right – it was just pure fun, and the kind of thing Subaru needed to distract himself from the melancholy idea of everything coming to an end.

They went on a Ferris wheel and bumper cars, where the two of them took childish glee at slamming into each other. They played a game where they shot water into a balloon to make it pop, and Subaru was amused by the fact that Yo-ka's aim was pretty bad. (Good thing princes aren't really expected to be in the military, he thought). Subaru won, receiving a teddy bear keychain as a prize, which he clipped to his belt loop.

If nothing else, I have something to remember all this by, he thought.

After they went on a couple more rides – including a merry-go-round where Subaru thought Yo-ka looked flat-out adorable clinging to the horse pole like a little kid and laughing – they got an order of takoyaki and sat together on a bench.

“I'm so glad we came here,” Subaru said.

“I am, too,” Yo-ka said. “I haven't been to one of these since I was a kid.”

“You went to fairs?” Subaru said.

“Our nanny used to smuggle us out to them,” Yo-ka said. “She never told my father, though. He'd have a fit. Toya was even more aggressive with bumper cars than you were.”

The mention of Toya made Subaru's heart sink to his stomach. Another reminder that tomorrow was the last day with him. He said, quickly, “Your nanny must have been a great person.”

“She was,” Yo-ka said. “She understood that we were kids first, not princes. We spent more time with her than anyone else back then, of course, since our parents had their royal duties.”

“I wouldn't do that,” Subaru said, quietly. “If I were royal, and a parent? I'd always make sure I made time for my kids, no matter what.”

“Would you do that, Subaru?” Yo-ka said. “Adopt kids, I mean?”

“Well, sure, I'd be open to it,” he said. “If I was with a person I was happy with, and we had a stable life, and we both felt we'd have enough time to spare? I would.”

Yo-ka squeezed his hand. “You put a lot of thought into that.”

“I'd want to make sure the kid felt loved and happy, of course,” Subaru said.

“I know I've said this to you before,” Yo-ka said, “but I'm going to say this again, because I mean it on so many levels – I'm so glad I've gotten to know you, Subaru. I really am. You made me look inside myself and find feelings I'd pushed to the side years ago.”

Subaru's heart twirled within him. Oh, my God, he thought, is that a love confession? Is he going to ask me to . . . am I The One? And then, the same panicked feeling he'd had in the cafe – do I want this, or don't I? – washed over him.

But Yo-ka continued, “You helped me find a few missing pieces of Yo-ka that I pushed aside in favor of The Prince.”

Subaru relaxed. “I'm glad,” he said. “And . . . and I want us to still be in each other's lives, in some form, no matter what happens.”

“You don't have to worry about that,” Yo-ka said. “At all.”

When Subaru finished eating his last takoyaki, Yo-ka said, “You have a bit of sauce on the corner of your mouth.” He leaned over to wipe it off, gently . . .

Then he leaned over and quickly kissed Subaru on the lips. It was just a brief touch – a couple of seconds, and then he pulled back – but it made Subaru's heart flutter.

“We need to go back soon,” Yo-ka said, quietly. “Is . . . is there anything else you want to do before we leave?”

Part of Subaru was thinking, yes, I want you to kiss me again. Another part was saying, no, no, if that happens, who knows what it'll lead to . . .

Instead, he said, “Let's go on the merry-go-round again.”

“I'm definitely in agreement with that,” Yo-ka said.

He held out his hand to Subaru, and they headed for the ride together.

* * *

Subaru and Toya tried to maintain normalcy as much as possible when they arrived on the beach the next day. They went straight out to the waves, and Subaru watched, impressed, as Toya rode them with confidence – even pulling off a few sharp turns.

He really has come a long way, Subaru thought. His love for this sport is genuine, it's not just an un-princely thing he did to spite his father.

They left the water, and Toya punched the air. “Yes!” he said. “I'm a surfer now! A real one!”

“You are!” Subaru said. “And I'm so proud, Toya!”

“I'm going to make sure everyone I know sees my new skill,” he said. “They're going to be surprised.” He flopped down on the sand, and when Subaru sat next to him, he hugged the other man. “I'm so glad I met you!”

Does he mean that just in regard to the surfing? Subaru thought. Or . . . or other things?

He found himself hugging Toya back. “I . . .I'm glad, too.”

“What's wrong?” Toya said. “You suddenly looked sad.”

Subaru leaned his head on the other man's shoulder. “I don't want to say goodbye,” he said. “We kept saying we were going to make the most of every moment, and now the last moments are here, and . . .”

“Subaru,” Toya hugged him closer. “It doesn't need to be the end. Not at all. No matter what happens from here . . .” He leaned back and put his fingers under Subaru's jaw, tipping it upward. “This doesn't mean you go back to Royz and work as a clerk, and I go back to the prince crap, and we never see each other again. Okay? We'll . . . we'll surf together again, I promise.”

They were so close, their lips inches apart, and all Subaru wanted to do was close that last distance, to bring his lips to Toya's, to experience the kiss he'd wanted all along.

But if I do that, he thought, it will lead to another kiss, and another, and it could lead to us finding somewhere private to do more, and what happens if tomorrow I get chosen as his brother's Pledged . . .

Subaru was so deep in his thoughts he didn't notice the figure standing a few feet away from them on the beach, just kind of staring at them. The person turned and walked away, quickly, as Subaru reluctantly eased back from the other man.

“I want to see you on that longboard next time,” he said, with a forced smile. “Keep practicing.”

“You'd better believe I will,” Toya said.

As they got up and headed back to the palace, they didn't even notice they were passing Yuuki, who was just standing by the edge of the sand, thinking.

* * *

Yuuki wondered if it were fate, or karma, that brought him to a part of the beach where he didn't normally go.

It was his intention to set up his chair, put on his hat and sunglasses, and take a short nap. He was trying not to think about tonight, where Yo-ka would announce his final two, and the possibility of tomorrow, where he might stand before the king as Yo-ka named his ultimate choice.

And then, he saw Subaru in an embrace with the prince's brother that left nothing to the imagination as far as their feelings were concerned.

He knew Subaru was giving Toya surfing lessons – they'd both casually mentioned it. He didn't know, however, that those lessons had very obviously led to something else.

They're nuts about each other, Yuuki thought. And I know that Yo-ka likes Subaru, a lot. In fact, I'm almost sure he's a shoo-in for the final two.

Yuuki realized he was sitting on a bombshell of information. He could take it to Yo-ka right now and ensure his position as Pledged. The crown prince certainly wouldn't want to put the bejeweled collar around the neck of a guy who was in love with his brother.

He hesitated, eyes on the palace, knowing Yo-ka would be returning from his final date with MiA right about now. All I have to do, he thought, is knock on the door of the royal salon and say it's an important matter . . .

His head dropped. No, he thought. I'm not an asshole. And I genuinely like Subaru. I'm not going to backstab him. But . . . I definitely need to talk to him. He will have a decision to make if Yo-ka offers him that collar, and I need to make sure he doesn't make the wrong one.

* * *

Dinner was a surprisingly boisterous affair, considering it was their last night. They talked about funny things that happened during dates and fun things they all did together. They compared notes on what the worst train ride was, and they laughed at Yo-ka's imitations of the Duke's announcements – which even the Duke seemed to get a kick out of.

When they were finished, Yo-ka said, “Guys, this has been the best month and a half of my life. I mean it. I thought a Culling would be a horrible experience, but it was a great one. But you know what? I'm still not going to make my successor go through one.”

“Really?” Yuuki said. “Why not? You just said it was the best six weeks of your life.”

“I'm going to give him something else,” Yo-ka said. “I'm going to send him on the road with a diverse group of his citizens, to be sure – but not necessarily to find love. To find friendship. To have him get to know all kinds of people from all walks of life, and genuinely appreciate them. That's what a real ruler is – someone who understands and appreciates the needs of everyone, not just someone who appreciates the needs of a chosen few.”

He stood up. “And with that said . . . I guess I have to make a big announcement, don't I? And I want all three of my final candidates to know . . . this isn't a reflection on any of you, because you've all made a huge impact on my life.” He paused. “The two coming to the capital with me tomorrow are . . .”

MiA stood up. “Yo-ka, I know it's Subaru and Yuuki,” he said. “And it's okay.” He walked around the table to hug the prince. “I'm glad. They deserve it. And . . .”

“And?” Yo-ka said.

MiA looked down. “Being away all this time made me realize that there's someone back home I have feelings for.”

The group gasped – except Hiro, who said, “Like all of you are shocked. He talked about Koichi constantly.”

“I asked myself after our date, what would I do if you asked me to move on to the palace? And I realized that I'd say no . . . because of Koichi.” He suddenly gave a proper bow and said, “I'm sorry, Your Highness.”

“MiA, what's all this 'Your Highness' after all this time?” Yo-ka said, softly. “And you don't have to apologize for your feelings. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit jealous of your Koichi. But I want you to go home and be happy with him . . . and then, I want you to bring him to the capital so I can meet him too, okay?”

MiA hugged him again and went back to his seat. Yo-ka faced the group again. “Well, I don't have to make that one, do I?” he said. “MiA made it for me.” Everyone laughed. “My next announcement is regarding titles. I've had the royal clerks draw up documents this afternoon, and I'm going to sign them here and now. As you know, under normal circumstances, a king is the only person who can elevate someone to nobility. But during a Culling, that power is also transferred to a prince. And now, it applies to you.” He paused. “ALL of you.”

Hiro and Hiyori looked at each other. “Us, too?” Hiyori said.

“Yes, you, too,” Yo-ka said. “In addition to the nobility titles commonly in use now, there's a title called Viceroy, which hasn't been given out in recent years. It's the old title of the regional governor. Nowadays, well, it's kind of like Baron and Marquis and the others – it conveys no real duties, other than representing your district at official functions. But it does make you nobility.”

He reached for the pile of scrolls next to him, pulled off the top four, and signed them. “One copy for you to keep, one to be filed at the main palace,” he said. “And so, I officially convey on you the titles Hiro, Viceroy of Fest Vainqueur, and Hiyori, Viceroy of Kiryu.”

They both ran over to him and hugged him from opposite sides. “Whoa!” Yo-ka said. “You're going to squash me like a wine grape!” He handed each of them their scrolls, and a small box. “These are your badges of office,” he said. “Whenever you come to the capital, or an official function in another district, you wear these, okay?”

“Don't worry,” Hiro said. “I'm going to be wearing this everywhere. I'm going to have this thing on my pajamas.” Everyone laughed.

“As for the rest of you,” Yo-ka said, “I looked into what nobility titles have been given out in your districts, figured out what was available – and I gave you the highest one I could.” He looked at Yuuki. “In some cases, it was harder than others.”

He proceeded to distribute scrolls and badges of office to the others. Ruiza was named the Earl of D – “Well, that's not what it says on the documents, but I don't want to pronounce that full name, either,” Yo-ka said, as everyone laughed. MiA was named the Marquis of Mejibray, with a promise that “if things work out with your Koichi, I'll give him a title, too.” And Yuuki was named the Grand Archduke of Lycaon.

“Whoa,” Yuuki said. “That's a bit heavy. That was really the only one available?”

“Yes,” Yo-ka said. “I checked. Hey, you deserve it!”

“I feel like I need to upgrade my wardrobe or something,” Yuuki said, and everyone laughed.

“And finally, Subaru,” Yo-ka said. “Your district has never had nobility at all, so this was easy. You are now officially the first Duke of Royz – and that is how you will be introduced to my father tomorrow. A true noble, inside and out.”

Subaru swallowed hard. “I . . . I don't know what to say,” he said. “The last thing I expected when I came here was . . .”

To make the final two? he thought. To make it past the first round at all? To meet so many wonderful people? To . . . 

He looked at Toya. To fall in love?

But instead, he said, “To end up with a big title. Is that going to go on my boating license?” he said. Everyone laughed.

Subaru sat down, looking at the new badge of office now pinned next to his fully-filled rosette.

I'm a duke, he thought. This is insane. A tugboat clerk from Royz is a duke!

But he knew, on so many levels, that he would never be that tugboat clerk again.

* * *

Yo-ka looked at the stack of suitcases by his door, waiting for the staff to pick them up. It had been a once-a-week ritual until now – but this time, there was something so final about it.

I can't believe I'm going to be back at the main palace tomorrow, he thought. I can't believe I'm going to be back in front of my parents, and that I'm going to make an announcement that will change my life – and someone else's.

Who was he kidding? His life was changed already – and so were the lives of everyone else who'd come with him on this journey to the end. No matter what he said in front of his parents tomorrow, he knew that, in so many ways, he wouldn't be able to let any of them go.

He'd gone on this journey to find a romantic partner – and found a group of friends who'd taught him so much about his own people.

There was a knock on the frame of the door. He looked up, and saw Motoki, holding a manilla envelope in his hand.

“I beg your pardon, Your Highness,” Motoki said, bowing, “but I have those statistics you asked for. The ones about happiness and productivity in our country versus the Duchy of Gazetto, remember?”

“Oh, yes,” Yo-ka said. “Thank you very much, Motoki.”

“I'm sorry it took so long,” the assistant said, bowing again. “I ran into more complications than I . . .”

“Motoki, it's fine,” Yo-ka said. “You were supposed to get it by the time we left Ekkisu. We're still here. You made your deadline.”

He opened the envelope and started to read – and his eyebrows shot up. This was even more than he was hoping for. It most definitely merited discussion with his brother.

Yo-ka looked in the room next door – but Toya was nowhere to be found. He's probably in the royal salon, the prince thought, and took off, envelope in hand.

* * *

Subaru was passing one of the parlors, on his way back to his room, when his way was suddenly blocked by Yuuki stepping in front of him.

“I need to talk to you,” the nobleman said.

Subaru looked at the violet-haired man. He's my one rival, he thought. The only other person Yo-ka could pick. The only person standing between me and . . . what? Happiness?

He stepped into the parlor, Yuuki following him. “Yuuki,” Subaru said, “what's wrong?”

Yuuki paused for a moment, running a hand over his hair. Crap, he thought, now that I've got the boy here, how do I put this? I don't want to upset him, or make him think I'm being a bastard and I just want Yo-ka for myself. Well, I DO, but that's not why I'm doing this.

“Subaru,” he said, “how do you feel about tomorrow?”

“Well, I never thought it would be me, quite frankly,” Subaru said. “I was the last person I thought would make it this far. So, I'm kind of . . . shocked, I guess would be the word?”

“I mean, how do you feel about the possibility of being picked? About . . . about Yo-ka?”

What is he getting at? Subaru thought. “I . . . I think he's a wonderful guy,” he said. “One of the sweetest ones I've ever met.”

“But it's not him your heart belongs to, is it?”

Oh, no, Subaru thought. That doesn't sound good. Not at all. “What do you mean?” he said.

“I saw you on the beach with Toya,” Yuuki said. “Subaru, I'm not saying this because I want you out of the way so I can have Yo-ka. Believe me. I'm not a backstabbing bastard. But . . . but when I saw you and Toya, the way you were looking at each other, touching each other . . .”

“Nothing's happened between us!” Subaru said, panicking. “Nothing! I . . . I've just been giving him surfing lessons, that's all! And, I mean, we hung out in town, but that was with everyone!”

“Nothing needs to have happened,” Yuuki said. “When two people are meant to be together? Sometimes, their hearts start talking to each other before their bodies catch up.”

Subaru looked down. “Yuuki, I'm . . . I'm sorry, I never meant for anything like that to happen, I didn't want to mess up the Culling, I . . .”

Yuuki reached down and grabbed the other man's hand. “Subaru, it's okay! You don't have to apologize! If anything . . . you may have made it easier for me.”

“You're in love with Yo-ka?” Subaru said, quietly.

“Well, as you know, we've all spent the same amount of time with him,” Yuuki said. “I don't think it's enough time to truly call myself in love with him yet. But I want to get to know him better. I . . . I really think the potential for a relationship is there. Just like it is for you and Toya. In fact, you've spent much more time with Toya than you have with Yo-ka, so you're probably a lot closer to true love than I am.”

“You think that I should go to Toya and confess to him?” Subaru said, quietly.

“No,” Yuuki said. “Not yet. Let's see what happens tomorrow. But remember, the candidate has the right to refuse being Pledged if he doesn't return the Crown Prince's feelings. All I'm asking you to do is look within yourself and ask yourself honestly . . . if the prince chooses you, how will you answer?”

Subaru looked away. “Even if Yo-ka doesn't choose me . . . even if I don't choose him . . . how can I be with Toya? He has to go through a Culling of his own . . .”

“He doesn't need to!” Yuuki said. “He's already found someone in a Culling! And if their father doesn't like that . . .” He put his hands on Subaru's shoulders. “Just sleep on everything I've just said, okay? And be ready for what you're going to say tomorrow.”

Subaru nodded quietly – and then was shocked when Yuuki flat-out hugged him.

“You really are a good guy,” Yuuki said. “You deserve to be happy, no matter what form that happiness takes.”

“So do you, Yuuki,” Subaru said, quietly.

They both left the parlor in silence, neither noticing the figure by the door who ducked away into the shadows.

* * *

Yo-ka pressed up against the wall, thinking over what he'd just heard, trying to catch his breath.

He'd just been passing by on his way to find his brother. He didn't mean to eavesdrop. But once he'd heard the conversation of his final two candidates, he couldn't help it.

His first reaction was shock. My own brother? he thought. My own brother, my flesh and blood, my best friend, the person I love most in the world . . . has made a claim on Subaru's heart? 

He didn't know whether to be furious or happy for them. He was just baffled. How could this happen? he thought. How? He was just around to observe . . . I knew Subaru was showing him how to surf, but I didn't know things went that deep . . .

Yo-ka closed his eyes, the past weeks running through his head. But of course, he had time to spend with Subaru, didn't he? he thought. He didn't have rigidly structured dates, he could be with the candidates whenever he wished . . . and when people are together a lot, feelings grow naturally, don’t they?

He almost laughed. I was right about Cullings the first time, he thought. They really are a lousy way to find romance – for the prince at the center of it all.

Yo-ka knew he had to do some thinking. A lot of it, in fact. But first, he needed to see someone. . .

* * *

Toya had gone straight to the royal salon after dinner. He needed some time alone, and he didn't feel like going back to his room yet.

He'd been avoiding the idea of this being his last full day with Subaru until now. He couldn't any longer – it was staring him in the face.

Tomorrow, he felt, was going to be like knives in his soul – especially if Yo-ka picked Subaru. Well, hell, he couldn't do anything about it, could he? This was a Culling – his brother's Culling. The whole damn purpose of this whole thing was for Yo-ka to get to know these men, and find a potential mate, and become Pledged to him.

Toya was supposed to be an observer and to lend moral support. Nothing more. He certainly wasn’t supposed to find the possible-love-of-his-life among the candidates.

If he picks him, Toya thought, I have to smile and be supportive and get used to the fact that he might end up my brother-in-law. If he doesn't . . . what do I do? Do I just charge out to Royz and pull him out of that damn tugboat office and tell him that . . . that what? I'm going to carry him away on a white steed like those heroes in ancient stories?

The door of the salon burst open. Toya looked up to see his brother with an agitated look on his face.

“Toya,” Yo-ka said, “I need to talk to you.”

* * *

In the town of Royz, the same merchant boats that normally went out loaded down with goods were being filled – but this time, with people, many of whom were carrying picket signs bearing the slogan “POWER TO THE PEOPLE.”

“The plan,” Ohbuchi said, “is for the boats to arrive at the capital at dawn, looking like just another merchandise drop. But then, we get out and immediately head for the palace. By the time the prince arrives to make his big announcement? We will be there, and we will make SURE they hear our voices. We won't let up until His So-Called Majesty comes out to listen!”

“And if he sends the guards after us?” one of the younger members of the crowd said.

“If we have to fight, we'll fight!” Ohbuchi said. “I can kick a gun out of a guy's hands, you know! We can't back down – not if we want the palace to finally LISTEN to us! Look, one of our guys is a Top Two finisher in this Culling, that means we're being taken seriously, right?”

Subaru's three friends stood off to the side, watching. “I don't know about this,” Tomoya said.

“Look, we don't have to get involved with all this Power to the People stuff,” Koudai said. “We're just riding along with these guys so that we can get close to the palace and see Subaru. If he's chosen, he'll come out on the balcony with the prince and be introduced to everyone as his Pledged. If he's not, he'll be sent home, and we'll be out there waiting for him, because he'll need to see friendly faces then.”

“And if these guys DO get into it with the palace guards?” Tomoya said.

“We find a place to hide,” Kuina said. “Look, Kodai's right. If Subaru's chosen, we want to see that moment in person. If he's not, he's gonna need us. Either way, we should be there.”

“All right,” Tomoya said. “But we're staying hidden, at least until the prince makes his decision.”

“Nobody will notice us,” Kuina said.

Ohbuchi, meanwhile, was standing there beaming, watching his improvised troops march into the boats. “That's it!” he said. “We're going to make a show of strength like nobody has ever seen! The Royal Family is never going to be able to ignore the voices of their own people again!”

* * *

In the study of the main palace, the king sat, quietly fuming.

He'd been fuming since the first reports started coming in from Lycaon. His son had approached this whole Culling – this sacred duty to find a mate – like it was a roving frat party.

Instead of trying to get to know young men of breeding and distinction – the proper mates for one of his kind – Yo-ka tossed them all out in the early rounds and chose to surround himself with ruffians and riff-raff. The king had listened to the radio interview with horror. None of these boys was a suitable mate. Even the one noble in the group was, of all things, a cabaret singer.

And then came the reports from Ekkisu that Yo-ka was even refusing to send home the young men he'd cut. He kept them hanging around – thus completely defeating the purpose of a Culling. Discards were supposed to be just that – discarded. Out of sight, out of mind, never heard from again.

Well, sometimes a discard found their way back into your orbit later – but that was after the fact, after you were properly Pledged, then engaged, then married.

But the final insult was the announcement of the final two candidates – and one was the boy from Royz. My son has picked a guttersnipe, the king thought. A young man from the lowest dust. The kind of person we would barely hire as a servant here. Lower Districts are invited to Cullings as a formality. Their candidates are supposed to be just for show, let go after the first round – not to be held on to until the end!

Yo-ka has made a vile mockery of this entire process, beginning to end, the king thought. If I had known his Culling was going to go like this, he would have never gotten one. The very thought of a lowlife from Royz sitting on the throne of the Royal Consort, where only ladies of quality and distinction had sat before . . .

He opened a drawer full of correspondence and pulled out a letter he'd filed away several weeks ago. It seemed the king of a far-flung kingdom was seeking to marry off his two daughters to men of royal blood, and was asking if he would be interested.

In the morning, he thought, I will have my secretary draw up a letter to that king, accepting his offer. And if Yo-ka does not make the right choice tomorrow . . . or if he shows no repentance at all for his behavior during this mockery of a Culling . . . it will be mailed. One princess brought here for Yo-ka, to be his bride . . . and Toya sent to their kingdom to marry the other.

This is still a royal family, no matter what kind of antics my son pulls, the king thought. And it will be respected as such – or else.


	8. The Finale - Happily Ever After?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Culling is coming to an end, and the final candidates return to the capital for the big announcement about who Yo-ka has chosen – except a gang of protesters and a very angry king are standing between them and Happily Ever After.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The inspiration for the royal family's ceremonial outfits was Gotcharocka's Gekiai PV, during which they wore kimonos over WWII German-like uniforms – except the uniforms here are a lot more princely and a lot less Nazi. Subaru and Yuuki's final outfits are the ones from their most recent PV's as of the time of this writing – Royz' Antithesis and Initial'L's Moon Light Down.

Subaru woke up after a night of sleeping fitfully. He turned his head and looked at the sun shining outside.

This is it, he thought. The last day has arrived.

No sooner had the thought registered in his head than there was a knock on his door. He sprung up to answer it – and found a servant pushing a cart containing a covered food dish and a small pot of tea.

“Your breakfast, sir,” he said. “Enjoy it.”

“But . . . but I eat in the dining room, with my friends . . .”

“Today, everyone eats privately in their rooms,” the servant said. “The tailor and stylists will be here shortly, to get you ready. Remember, you are going straight from here to the airstrip, and after you land, straight to the throne room of the king and queen.”

And from there, Subaru thought, where? Back to Royz? Or . . .

Yuuki's words from the night before kept running through his mind. If the prince chooses you, think about what you're going to say to him . . .

Subaru couldn't think. Not about that. Not now. He had to take things one step at a time. The first step was the preparations for this thing – and then the goodbyes he didn't want to say.

He opened the lid of the cart and when he smelled the food inside, he felt surprisingly hungry. He sat down to eat.

Barely had he swallowed the last bite when another knock came on the door. Now what? he thought. He opened the door, to find a small army of stylists, and a tailor holding a garment bag.

“Subaru of Royz!” the tailor said. “We have designed the perfect look for you!”

“You have?” Subaru said. “But . . . the prince just chose me as one of the final two last night . . .”

“We had looks for all of you on our drawing boards the moment the prince narrowed the field down to ten,” the tailor said. “When it became four, we put them into production, sewing around the clock. We'll be giving the third and fourth place finishers their outfits as a going-home present.”

That sounded so distasteful – Subaru wanted to say that Ruiza and MiA weren't racehorses, they were his friends. But he just bowed and said, “Thank you.”

“Now, into the shower with you!” the head stylist said. “Get cleaned up and come out in a yukata.”

“Not in my underwear?” Subaru said.

“We have designed underwear for you, too!” the tailor said. “Because, of course, we know whoever gets picked . . . well, we want to impress His Royal Highness with every layer of clothing, don't we?”

Of course, Subaru thought. Whoever gets picked comes right back here with Yo-ka . . . and straight to the Pavilion of the Heart. He swallowed hard.

Don't think about that, don't think about that . . .

Almost as soon as he came out of the bathroom, he was shoved into a chair and fairly assaulted with combs and spray and brushes and powder puffs. And when that was done, he was dragged behind an old-fashioned changing screen and handed one garment at a time. When he came out, something was plunked on his head.

The stylists adjusted that, pulled this, added a couple of pieces of jewelry, and then propelled him toward a mirror.

“Look!” the tailor said. “Look at how gorgeous!”

Subaru blinked at the image in the mirror – and was shocked. Is that me? he thought. They'd dressed him in a red shirt, over which was a black and white jacket that had one lace sleeve, one plain white sleeve. His bottom half was covered with a pair of black, grey and white patterned pants with wide, flared legs meant to look like a skirt when he walked. (He was glad it wasn't a real skirt, since that was something he was definitely not used to wearing – skirts on men were an upper-class thing.)

Black gloves were on his hands, pearl and silver jewelry at his neck . . . and his head was covered by a wide-brimmed red hat that sported a large feather.

He looked every inch a royal consort candidate, and nothing like a boy from humble origins.

“I . . . this is wonderful,” he said. “Thank you.” He bowed. “Thank you all.”

The Earl appeared at the door. “You are all set, Your Grace?” he said.

“Eh?” Was he speaking to him? Oh, yeah – Yo-ka had made him a duke, hadn't he? “Oh, yes – yes, I am.”

“Then come along. The former candidates are waiting in the front hall. You are to say your goodbyes to them, and then you will be driven to the airstrip while they are driven to the train.”

“But Yo-ka and Toya . . . and Yuuki . . .”

“Their Highnesses and the Grand Archduke of Lycaon have said their goodbyes and been driven to the airstrip already,” the Earl said. “The princes will be in one compartment of their airplane, while you, myself and the Grand Archduke will be in the other. You will not see Their Highnesses until we arrive in the throne room.”

“But . . . why?” Subaru said. I want to see Toya one last time, he thought. I want to talk to him. I want to tell him . . . what?

“It is tradition that the prince does not see his last two candidates until he pronounces his final decision,” the Earl said.

But that tradition doesn't include the younger prince, Subaru thought. He let the Earl lead him to the front hall . . . and there were MiA, Hiro, Hiyori and Ruiza, their bags lined up behind them.

“I . . . I don't want to say goodbye to you,” Subaru said. “Any of you.”

“This isn't goodbye.” Ruiza walked over to Subaru and hugged him. “You're going to come and visit me, you hear? We're going to see each other again.”

Subaru just clung to his friend. He felt a lump swelling in his throat.

Hiro went up to him next. “You don't know how glad I am that I met you,” he said, hugging Subaru.

“Not as glad as I am to have met you,” Subaru said.

Hiyori followed and said, “You haven't seem me perform yet, you know. In dance OR comedy. You need to remedy that.”

“I will,” Subaru said. “I promise.”

The last to hug Subaru was MiA – his first friend among the other candidates, the one who'd been with him the night he met Toya. It seemed appropriate.

“I'm going to miss you so much,” Subaru said. “When I'm back in Royz . . .”

“Subaru, you're not going back to Royz,” MiA said, softly. “You're going to live in a palace. I have faith in you.”

Yes, Subaru thought. But . . . do I really want to live in that palace? If Yo-ka picks me, what do I say?

He stepped back from the group, swallowing the lump again, and said, “See you all on the other side, right?”

The Earl put his hand on Subaru's shoulder. “Remember,” he said, “His Highness is determined that he's going to host a reunion for all of you. You'll see your friends again.”

Subaru just nodded, looking at all of them, as if they were going to fade away into nothingness.

“It's time,” the Earl said. “The Grand Archduke is waiting for you at the airstrip.”

Subaru waved at his friends. “I'll see you,” he said. “Have a nice trip home, okay?” And then he turned and rapidly followed the Earl out of the building, not looking back.

There was a car in front of him, the driver holding the door open. Subaru got in the back, the Earl got in the front next to the driver.

I'm alone for the first time since I came here, Subaru thought. Even when I was in my room at night, there was always the sense that my friends were near.

The door shut, and the car took off for the airfield.

* * *

Subaru would have thought that his first ride on a plane would be an exciting experience. Instead, he spent it deep in melancholic thought.

There were four seats in the rear cabin of the aircraft, and they were filled with himself, Yuuki, the Earl and one stylist, who was going to give both men last-minute touch-ups.

Yuuki was equally quiet. Subaru figured the other man was alone with his own thoughts. The other candidate was also splendidly dressed – the outfit itself, consisting of a white jacket and pants with a black turtleneck shirt, was deceptively plain, but the stylists had festooned that with a spectacular array of silver jewelry going all the way down his chest. Subaru wondered if they'd forgotten that if Yuuki was chosen, he'd have a big collar over all that.

What do I do if I'm chosen? Subaru thought, looking out the window at passing clouds. What do I say? Do I accept Yo-ka's proposal? It isn't as if I don't have feelings for him. I do. It's just that my feelings for his brother are, well . . . different. If I say yes, if I agree to the six-month trial, would my feelings for Yo-ka grow stronger?

And then, there was the alternative – Yuuki being chosen. Then what happens? Subaru thought. Do I just go back to Royz as if none of this ever happened? Could I do that? And . . . would I ever see Toya again?

The plane approached the airfield in the capital. It's going to happen, Subaru thought. They're going to get us in a car, and take us to the palace, and then my fate will be decided . . .

Little did he know of what was going on below him.

* * *

The guard reached the airfield in the private car. Fortunately, the demonstrations seemed to not have reached this spot – yet.

Small wonder, because they were all over the rest of the city.

The palace was prepared for the delegation from Versailles, of course. They fully expected upper-class representatives to fill the streets carrying signs in protest of the final outcome of the Culling, calling for the results to be thrown out and the whole thing done over. The staff had been put on alert to control the crowd if they got unruly.

Small chance of that. Even at their most indignant, upper-class citizens never formed unruly mobs. No, they formed very ruly mobs.

The surprise, however, came when a group of seemingly ordinary merchant boats arrived from Royz – and spilled hoards of screaming, yelling people into the streets, waving signs and chanting, “POWER TO THE PEOPLE!”

They were everywhere. They blocked streets. They jumped up on top of milk crates and started yelling speeches about how the palace was ignoring them, and they wouldn't be ignored any more. They were here to HAVE THEIR DAY, since, you know, a guy from Royz was one step from the Prince-Consort's throne.

His Majesty was informed of the matter right away – and to say he was upset was the understatement of the century.

“God DAMN it!” the monarch shouted, nearly hurling his formal crown across the room. “I KNEW it was trouble the moment that IDIOT son of mine let that GUTTERSNIPE get past the first round! I want Yo-ka brought to the palace IMMEDIATELY! Not his brother, not the boy from Lycaon, and CERTAINLY not that trash from Royz. JUST Yo-ka.”

It was that order that the guard was here to carry out. He saluted the plane as it taxied to a stop. Earl Ohara got out of it, to make sure everything was in order before the princes disembarked . . .

Only to be met with the guard, saying, “Sir! I am under orders to bring His Royal Highness the Prince of Valluna to His Majesty, and ONLY the Prince of Valluna.”

“Excuse me?” the Earl said. “Is there a problem?”

“There is, indeed, a problem, Lord Earl,” the guard said. “A very big problem.”

“Well, then what do I do with His Highness the Prince of Charlotte, and the two candidates?”

“They are to remain aboard this aircraft,” the guard said. “We will come get them if and when His Majesty wants them at the palace.”

The Earl's heart sank. Did this mean the whole Culling was a failure? Never before had one been called off at the last moment – especially not by the king.

“Sir, His Majesty wants these orders carried out immediately. With the way the palace is under siege by protesters, we might not even be able to get into the palace grounds pretty soon.”

“All right,” the Earl sighed. “I will get His Royal Highness. But I want to talk to His Majesty myself.”

“No one is to have an audience with His Majesty but his older son!” the guard said.

The Earl bowed and headed toward the plane, muttering to himself. He'd told the boy he was tempting fate with his unconventional decisions. Now, it seemed, fate was coming to collect the bill.

* * *

Yo-ka did not like the look on the Earl's face when the man opened the door of the royal compartment. And when the nobleman delivered the news that Yo-ka, and Yo-ka alone, was summoned to the palace, his heart sank to his feet.

“If he doesn't like my choice of Subaru . . .” he said.

“I think this may go far beyond the hometowns of your final choices,” the Earl said. “Now, come with me.”

“I'm not going without Toya!” Yo-ka said.

Toya squeezed his brother's shoulder. “It's okay,” he said. “Just go with them.”

“I'm not going to let Father sacrifice your happiness,” Yo-ka said. “He can do what he wants with me, but he is NOT going to force you into anything you don't want.”

Yo-ka stood up and got off the plane slowly, his head held high. If it's a fight my father wants, he thought, he's about to get a fight.

The prince cut quite an impressive figure as he walked toward the waiting limo. He was in his ceremonial outfit, reserved for only the most special occasions – a European-style military uniform topped with a drape in traditional Japanese fabrics that was styled like an open kimono, symbolizing the two cultural influences of the country. Around his head was a diadem, a circle of gold at the center of which was the symbol of the Principality of Valluna, two crossed keys topped with crowns.

It was an outfit designed for announcing a final choice – not for battling it out with one's father.

The guard bowed to him. “Your Highness, I have been instructed . . .”

“I know,” Yo-ka said. “Let's just go there.”

He got in the back of the car, his jaw set, and glanced backward at the plane that still held his brother – and the two remaining candidates.

I'm going to fight for all of you, he thought. I promise.

* * *

It was quite an experience for Koudai, Tomoya and Kuina. They'd never been in the middle of a rampaging mob before.

When their boat arrived at the capital, they walked out quietly along with the rest of the crowd. Ohbuchi pointed to a line of trucks, supposedly awaiting deliveries.

“Get in the back of those,” he said. “I called this company and tipped 'em off last night. They're in this with us.”

Of course, there were lower-class people working within the capital, just like there were in every other city. And just like every other city, they lived in shantytowns on its fringes, close enough to view opulence, but stuck in squalor.

They'd all heard about what was going on from the truck drivers, and they were just as eager to get in on “Power to the People” as the Royz residents were. In fact, they'd brought a truckload of their own neighbors as well.

The fleet moved quietly through the streets, depositing its human load around the palace. And once they got there, things weren't quiet anymore.

As soon as the doors opened, the Royz delegation leapt out, waving their signs, chanting their slogans, some of them just wordlessly screaming and roaring. They'd been silent all this time – they were going to be silent no more.

Subaru's three friends rushed to the side of the street to be out of the way as a throng of protesters stormed past them like a herd of rampaging buffalo, signs held aloft. One of them jumped up on top of a parked car with his sign and bellowed, “Listen here, everyone! We're from Royz! We're the people who make this country possible! You ain't getting' no goods in or outta this place if not for us! And the palace ain't gonna treat us like shit anymore!”

“Well, THAT's not exactly going to help our image with the rest of the country, is it?” Kuina said to the other two.

Koudai shook his head. “I have a bad, bad feeling about this,” he said. “I'm beginning to think this was a huge mistake.”

“Because they're embarrassing us?” said Tomoya.

“No,” said Koudai. “Because if they get rowdy enough to start damaging property? The palace may respond with guns.”

* * *

When the Earl brought the bad news to the two candidates, Subaru's jaw fell open in shock.

Before going to speak to them, the nobleman had called the palace and gotten more details. He was able to report to Yuuki and Subaru that the palace was surrounded by unruly protesters – and most of them were claiming to be from Royz.

“I . . . I didn't mean for this to happen!” Subaru said. “I have nothing to do with them, really! I haven't spoken to anyone from Royz since I first came to the palace!”

“I know,” the Earl said, quietly. “It seems like they were inspired by your rise through the Culling to take matters into their own hands. You've been elevated higher than anyone from any lower class district ever has.”

“But . . . but I didn't mean . . .” Subaru buried his face in his hands. Oh, God. All he had wanted to do was travel, see somewhere other than his hometown. Then, he'd just wanted to stay with his friends, and get to know Yo-ka, and see . . .

“Toya,” he said, softly. “Please, can I see Toya?”

He heard a long silence, as if Yuuki and the Earl were digesting his words. Yuuki, of course, knew of his feelings for the other prince. The Earl did not.

“I doubt that His Highness can do anything more to quell this situation,” the Earl said. “His Royal Highness is on his way to speak to the king now. I'm going to call the palace again and find out what's going on.”

As soon as the nobleman left, Yuuki moved over to Subaru's seat, leaned over and hugged him. “It isn't your fault,” he said. “Don't blame yourself.”

“I'm trying not to,” Subaru said, hugging back. “I just feel if I wasn't in the Culling . . .”

“You had no idea how people were going to react,” Yuuki said. “None of us did.”

“I don't want Yo-ka to get in trouble because of this. I don't know what his father is going to do.”

“Yo-ka is a strong person,” Yuuki said. “He knows his own mind, and he doesn't let someone else's rules dictate what he does in life.” He paused. “I like that about him. A lot.”

Subaru was quiet. He really, really wanted Yo-ka to choose Yuuki. He knew that now. Yuuki was the one with the feelings for him, they were very similar, they'd have a good life together . . .

I don't know if Yo-ka will even be allowed to make his final choice now, Subaru thought.

* * *

Yo-ka realized something was very wrong when he noticed that the car was taking a very roundabout way to get to the palace.

“Why can't we go down the main roads?” he said. “They were supposed to be cleared of traffic for our motorcade, weren't they?”

“They were, Your Highness,” the guard said. “However, they were not cleared of the protesters.”

“Protesters?”

“The reason your father has requested your presence, Your Highness. It seems that a large amount of ruffians are loose in the streets, screaming and yelling and blocking roads.”

“Where did they come from?”

“It seems, Your Highness, that they came from Royz.”

Oh, shit, Yo-ka thought. Of all places. If my father heard that . . .

But the prince steeled his reserve. He was going to do something that he should have done a long time ago. Years ago, in fact.

He was going to stand up to his father, once and for all.

When the car finally reached the palace, it went into a back, service entrance, through an alleyway usually served by delivery trucks. The guard got out and opened Yo-ka's door.

“He is waiting for you in his office,” the guard said. He led Yo-ka through a door that connected to the kitchens, through a room lined with stoves and ovens, out a door and down a hall to one of the back elevators.

Yo-ka held his breath during the ride up. Think of what's at stake, he told himself. Think of your happiness, and your brother's. Think of all the people out there whose voices have gone unheard – and are now, literally, screaming in the streets to make sure they're heard now.

The door opened. The two men walked down a hall, through a set of large double doors, and down another hall. The guard paused in front of another elaborate set of doors.

“And here, I leave you,” he said, bowing. “Good luck, Your Highness.”

Yes, Yo-ka thought, because I'll need it.

He took a deep breath, put his hands on the door handles, and pushed inward. There sat his father behind the desk, ceremonial outfit on, including his elaborate crown. His hands were folded in front of him, and his face bore a scowl.

“Hello, Father,” Yo-ka said.

The king just glared at his son for a long moment, and then said, “Do you know what you have DONE? Do you? You and your foolish decisions! Your misplaced, cockeyed idealism! It wasn't enough that you made an obscene mockery of what is supposed to be a time-honored tradition!”

“Sir, I followed the rules of the Culling.”

“You did NOT!” the king shouted. “What are these reports I got about your progress? Throwing out young men of breeding like so much garbage and keeping RABBLE? Perfume chemists? Professional dancers? ICE CREAM MAKERS? Not to mention the fact that a GUTTERSNIPE is among your final two?”

“I will NOT have you refer to Subaru like that!” Yo-ka said. “You don't know him! You don't know ANY of them!”

“And I do not CARE to know any of them!” the king shouted. “Because you made such foolish decisions, we now have streets full of . . .” He pointed to the window. “THIS! Take a look!”

Yo-ka moved slowly to the window and gazed downward. Sure enough, the streets were filled with people waving signs and banners, chanting “POWER TO THE PEOPLE!” One sign said, “WE ARE STRONG. WE ARE BRAVE. WE ARE ROYZ.”

The sight was distressing, all right. But in another way, it was, well . . . empowering.

Yo-ka turned around, slowly. “This isn't a sign that I made the wrong decision, Father,” he said. “On the contrary. It's a sign that I made a very right decision.”

“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?” his father shouted. “You have brought shame and embarrassment to the royal house! Why, there hasn't been a demonstration of unrest like this since . . .”

“Since when?” Yo-ka said. “Since King Kisaki? Since Gazetto and Alicenine broke away from us and formed their own countries?”

“Don't you DARE bring that up!” the king shouted. “King Kisaki was an embarrassment to the throne, and I will not have you even INSINUATING that I will end up like him!”

“Do you know WHY Gazetto and Alicenine broke away?” Yo-ka said. “What made them do it? It was because King Kisaki wouldn't listen to them. The people of those regions pleaded with him over and over to consider them equals, to take their opinions into consideration. But King Kisaki dismissed them, over and over. And finally, the people couldn't take it anymore.”

“He was weak!” the king said. “It wasn't that he wouldn't listen to them! He let them walk all over them! And they were . . .”

“Middle-class?” Yo-ka said. “Yes – the districts of Gazetto and Alicenine were, at the time, primarily middle-class. As were most of the young men in my Culling – the ones you said you didn't want to get to know. Tell me, Father – have you ever sat down with people of the middle and lower classes? Really talked to them? Gotten to know them? Spent an afternoon with them?”

“Of course not!” the king shouted. “I am a king! Why should I spend time with anyone who's beneath me?”

“And that is precisely why this is happening.” Yo-ka pointed to the window. “That is precisely what happened with King Kisaki. You considered yourself above them. But you are NOT above them. None of us are. In our hearts, we are all equal – because ALL of use contribute to this nation. Veekay isn't its royalty and nobility. It's all its citizens, acting as one.”

“What is this nonsense you are spouting?” the king yelled.

“It isn't nonsense!” Yo-ka replied. “Look. You said that the people in my Culling are beneath you? Tell me, what would happen here if you had a royal ball? The people would dress all up, put on makeup and perfume, and then enjoy a huge dinner, right? Perhaps with seafood? And then afterward, cake with ice cream as dessert? Then afterward, there'd be entertainment – music, perhaps a dance performance?”

“What are you getting at?” the king nearly groaned.

“Every one of my Culling candidates – every one of those boys you dismissed as worthless – would have contributed to that party. Ruiza very well might have designed the perfumes those guests were wearing. Hiro might have made that ice cream. MiA might be among the musicians, and Hiyori could be one of the dancers. And that seafood? Caught by people from Royz and brought here, packed in ice so it would stay nice and fresh. Oh, and the imported silk that a lot of your guests would be wearing? Also courtesy of people from Royz, because there would be no trade without your merchant marines.”

“I don't see how a PARTY makes up for the fact that you . . .”

“What about the rest of your life, Father?” Yo-ka said. “The pens that you write with? Made in factories in Sukuru. The cars you're driven around in? Designed by a bunch of guys in Pentagon. The radio addresses that you give? There's a host of engineers and transmitter techs around the country making it happen. Father, everyone in our country contributes to other people's lives. Everyone is important. Everyone deserves a voice. That's why they're out there.” He pointed to the window again.

“They are out there because you elevated some ruffian . . . .”

“They are out there because they didn't dare speak up before!” Yo-ka said. “It isn't JUST because of Subaru! It's because they wanted some sign, any sign, that we were paying attention to them! Until Subaru made it to the last stage of the Culling, they'd never had one! Have you paid attention, Father? Have you read ANY of the reports that the regional governors of the lower-class and lower-middle-class districts send in?”

“That is why I have administrative staff!” the king snapped. “I can't attend to everyone's matters!”

“You see?” Yo-ka said, walking over toward the window. “You see, that's just it. You haven't considered them important, ever. You just hobnob with the rest of the upper class, like your father before you, and his father before him . . . and you haven't talked to the common people. You haven't listened.”

“And you got all this by hanging out with a bunch of . . .”

“Perfume chemists and ice cream makers? I don't think of it that way. I spent time with a lot of people. Wonderful people.”

He looked out at the chanting, shouting crowds again. “Father, you remember when you first sent me out in the Culling, I thought it was a horrible idea – a terrible way to find a mate. And you know what? I still think it's a terrible way to find a mate.”

He turned around and looked at his father. “But I also now think that traveling around getting to know a bunch of people of different social classes is a great way to foster understanding, and friendship.”

“So you did not find a match, then?” For the first time, the king looked relieved.

“I didn't say that,” Yo-ka said. “Let me tell you what happened on that front . . .”

* * *

Toya sat in the front cabin of the airplane, growing increasingly agitated.

His brother still was not back. There was no word from the palace. He wanted to go see the two young men in the back – but the Earl kept telling him not to go back there.

I don't want Yo-ka to have to face Father alone, Toya thought. I want to know what's going on there. I want to make sure that he's all right. And I want to see Subaru . . . I want to make sure he's all right, too.

He saw the Earl approach the front cabin again. “Is there any more word?” he said.

“There are still protesters around the palace,” said the Earl. “The last thing I heard is your brother went into conference with your father.”

“Then we will go there, too,” Toya said.

“Your Highness, His Majesty said that . . .”

“His Majesty gave an order that Yo-ka be brought to him,” Toya said. “That order was carried out, wasn't it?”

“Well, yes, Your Highness.”

“And did any new orders come from the palace?”

“No, Your Highness.”

“Then I am giving a new order in my capacity as prince,” Toya said. “You're going to get a car, and the two of us are going to the palace – along with the two candidates.”

“You cannot put them in danger, Your Highness. Not with all those protesters . . .”

“If they're from Royz, they wouldn't dare hurt Subaru,” Toya said. “Now, get a car and take us to the palace. That is an order, Earl.”

Toya usually didn't throw his weight around – quite the contrary. But in a situation like this? It was most definitely called for.

“If it goes wrong, sir . . .”

“If it goes wrong, you were just following orders,” Toya said. “I will take the heat.”

The earl bowed. “As you wish, sir,” he said. He stepped away from the plane, and went over to talk to the members of the royal motorcade that had been waiting to transport all of them.

Toya let out a long breath. I'm coming, Yo-ka, he thought. All of us are.

* * *

The king was sitting at his desk again, mulling over what his son had just told him about the final outcome of the Culling.

“Do you expect me to just accept that?” he said.

“Yes, I do, Father,” Yo-ka said. “The purpose of a Culling is for a prince to make his own choices. And choices have been made.”

“Not the RIGHT choice!” the king shouted.

“Every choice is right to the chooser,” Yo-ka said.

“Yes, but the fact that it was . . .”

“The fact that it was . . . what?” came a new, feminine voice from the doorway.

Yo-ka turned, and saw the queen, also in formal dress – a long gown, over which another kimono-like garment was draped. “Mother . . .”

“You said when you sent Yo-ka and Toya off on this,” the queen said, walking into the room, “that you wanted them to find mates and be happy. And, like Yo-ka said, choices have been made.”

“Oh, yes, Yo-ka has made choices, all right!” the king snapped. “Yo-ka's final two choices are a nobleman – but a nobleman who's a CABARET SINGER, he couldn't even pick a decent noble – and some CREATURE from Royz!”

“And he isn't a creature to your son, is he?” the queen snapped back.

“How much have you heard?” the king shouted.

“I've heard enough!” his wife replied. “I've been outside this door almost since you had the boy brought in here! You are NOT going to interfere with your son's choices!”

“My dear, in case you haven't noticed, there are PROTESTERS . . .”

“Yes, there are protesters, because your son is right!” the queen shouted. “You do exactly what he says you do – you think only the upper class counts!” She paused. “You didn't ALWAYS think that way.”

Well, that startled Yo-ka. “Mother, what do you mean?”

“I mean that during his own Culling, he played the game the way the royal family wanted. He chose only the women from the higher districts. But his heart belonged to a girl from Codomo Dragon.”

The king suddenly looked panicked. “Hidoko, do NOT speak of . . .”

“No, let her speak,” Yo-ka said. He turned toward his mother. “What about this girl?”

“He was smitten with her from the get-go,” the queen said. “He kept her around longer than any other middle-class person who had been in a Culling – until he suddenly remembered that he was a future king, and kings don't hang around with the middle class.” The last words fairly dripped with sarcasm. “And so he cut her . . . officially. But . . . he still found a reason to keep her traveling with us until the end.”

“HIDOKO!” The king's face was red.

“She finished in sixth place,” said the queen. “And at that point, he told the candidates that everyone was going to stick around, because he didn't want any leaks to the press. He kept all the sixth through third place people with us when we were in Ekkisu – he put them up in one of the guesthouses. And then, when the Culling was over? He hired her as one of my ladies-in-waiting, and there she stayed until around the time you two were born.”

She marched right up to the king, leaned into his face, and said, “I would not trade my years with you for anything, my darling. Or my crown. But if you were HONEST with yourself? She'd be on my throne now, instead of being . . .”

“DO NOT SAY IT!” the king shouted.

“Back in Codomo Dragon,” the queen said, quietly, storming back over toward Yo-ka – who just stood there, stunned.

“Father,” he said. “While you were married to Mother, you . . . you continued to have an affair with . . .” 

The king sat, head in his hands. “He wasn't supposed to know. He was never supposed to know.”

“And you wouldn't want the public to know either, would you?” the queen said.

“You wouldn't dare,” the king said.

“You let your sons follow their hearts the way you refused to do,” the queen said. “And you hear Yo-ka out when it comes to our people. Unlike you, he is willing to admit he's as human as everyone else.”

Yo-ka walked up to his father's desk. “Father . . . are you willing to listen to me about the people? About how to keep our country from splitting again?”

The king glared at his wife, then let out a deep sigh. “Fine. What do you have to say?”

Yo-ka pulled a notebook out of his back pocket. “I had been planning to speak to you about this anyway,” he said. “During the Culling, one of the candidates talked to me about constitutional monarchies . . .”

“I am NOT giving up full power to a prime minister!” the king shouted.

“I am not asking you to,” Yo-ka said. “But I think the people need to have more of a voice in our government. I propose . . . a full, true Parliament.”

“A Parliament?”

“A system of checks and balances,” Yo-ka said, “to ensure that palace and people are working together equally. I want you to see something.” He held a page of the notebook out. “On the left are commerce and job satisfaction figures for Gazetto – a full constitutional monarchy. On the right? Statistics for us. See how much higher they are than us? The people are happier and more productive, Father – because they have a voice.”

The king stared at the figures for a long time. He then went to the window and looked down at the protesters – and the sight he saw startled him.

The upper-class protesters from Versailles had merged with the group from Royz. They were jumping and shouting alongside them. Some of the wealthy were even waving the Royz group's “Power to the People” signs.

Yo-ka walked to the window beside his father. “See?” Yo-ka said. “Everyone wants to be heard.” Of course, Yo-ka knew that the Versailles group's aim was a lot less noble than the Royz group – they'd come here out of a sort of whiny sense of entitlement – but he wasn't going to point that out to his father. No, he was just going to roll with it – because the visual was helpful to his cause.

Besides, he figured the Versailles people wanted as much of a direct voice in government as the Royz people.

“We've never had a Parliament before,” the King said.

“We've never had protesters around the palace at the end of a Culling, either,” Yo-ka said. “Father . . . think about that girl. Think about what SHE would want. Wouldn't she have wanted her district to have as much a voice as anyone else?”

The king continued to look down at the crowd. “If we were to do this. . . if we were to, hypothetically, do this Parliament as an experiment – and an experiment ONLY, mind you . . .” He looked over at his son. “The Parliament would be made up of the current district governors. I don't want any inexperienced people. Let each district elect a new governor to replace the one that will represent them here..”

“Of course,” Yo-ka said. “No government should be run by people with zero experience.”

“And I am still king regardless, remember? I have full veto power. They can develop and pass bills, but I have the right to veto them.”

Yo-ka nodded. He wasn't going to remind his father that a Parliament could also override a veto. Not when he was so close to getting what he wanted. What everyone wanted.

“We're going to have to make an announcement from the balcony, you know,” Yo-ka said.

“Did I say I'd definitely agreed to this?”

“It certainly sounded like it just now,” Yo-ka said.

The king sighed. “You are shrewd, boy. Too shrewd for your own good.”

“I guess I got it from you, then,” Yo-ka said.

“All three of us will go out there for the announcement,” the king said. “We will do it as a family.”

“I wouldn't have it any other way,” Yo-ka said. Fractured and dysfunctional as we are, he thought – even more fractured and dysfunctional than I thought – we're still a family. And when Toya gets here with Subaru and Yuuki, he thought, the family really will be complete.

Although one thing was niggling at the back of his head. Was his mother going to say something else at the end of her story about the girl from Codomo Dragon – and she dropped it at the last minute? He decided it wasn't important for now – he had too much to think about.

But that didn't mean the thought wouldn't come back later.

* * *

Subaru was sitting in the back of the plane, still trying to convince himself that this mess wasn't his fault and failing, when the Earl opened the back door.

“Both of you, get into this car,” he said. “We're going to the palace.”

Subaru got out of his seat and moved toward the exit, as staff pushed a set of steps into place. “You heard from Yo-ka?” he said.

“Not yet,” said the Earl. “But His Highness the Prince of Charlotte has insisted you all go there.”

Subaru climbed down the stairs to the tarmac, followed by Yuuki, and there next to the car was the most gorgeous thing that Subaru had ever seen.

Toya's hair was styled the way it was the night they met – the longer part pulled to the back of his head in a knot, curled locks encircling his face. He was wearing his royal diadem – which had to have been put on before they made the knot – featuring the emblem of Charlotte, a cross with a crown around its stem, at the center of his brow. Like his brother, he wore the military uniform with the kimono-like garment over it.

Subaru spontaneously flung himself at the other man and hugged him. “Toya . . .”

“It's going to be all right,” Toya said, hugging back. “It is, I promise.”

“I had nothing to do with this, Toya. I didn't ask those people to . . .”

“I know, Subaru. I know.” He whispered to the candidate, “You look incredibly beautiful, by the way.”

“So do you,” Subaru replied.

They parted, and they got into the back of the car, Yuuki and the Earl sliding into the seats opposite them. Subaru kept his hands in his lap to avoid the temptation to reach for Toya's hand.

The driver had the radio on so he could monitor the situation as the car started to move through the back streets. A field announcer stationed outside the palace was saying, “. . . still have no idea what is going on. All we can tell you right now is the protest groups from Versailles and Royz seem to have combined efforts, and are all standing together. No response from the palace.”

“Morita-san, isn't that a bit unusual?” replied an announcer in the station's news studio. “Wouldn't the palace normally have responded with a show of force by now?”

“It is possible that they did not because of the presence of protesters from Versailles,” the field reporter replied. “Had it been just the Royz group, there would have been soldiers out there already.”

“Of course,” Toya mumbled. His father would think nothing of mowing down a bunch of “guttersnipes.”

“And no word from the officials within what the king is doing . . .” said the studio announcer.

“We know that the elder son arrived some time ago,” Morita replied. “He has been sequestered with the king since . . .” There was a moment of silence – or, rather, the announcer ceasing to speak, during which chants of “Power to the People!” could be heard in the background. “I have just been handed a bulletin that the king, the queen and the prince are going to address the public from the main balcony, under which the majority of the protesters are gathered.”

Subaru and Toya glanced at each other. The Earl said, “Oh, my God. He's going to invalidate this entire Culling, isn't he?”

“Ladies and gentlemen, the royal family is coming onto the balcony,” Morita said. “Their microphones are being activated . . . Ladies and gentlemen, the voice of your king.”

“My subjects,” the king said, “I ask that your protests cease immediately – because your voices HAVE been heard. I have come to tell you of a coming change.”

The crowd stopped chanting – and there was a roar of applause instead. The Earl looked baffled. Toya leaned forward in nervous anticipation.

“After discussion with my son, our crown prince, who is a champion of the common man and woman, I have decided that the voices of all districts have not been adequately represented in our government.”

“Oh, my God,” Toya said. “He did it! He really did it!”

“And so,” the king continued, “It is my pleasure to announce the impending foundation of the first Parliament of the Great Nation of Veekay. The Parliament will consist of all of the current district governors, and will be responsible for formulating rules and regulations that will affect all people. So now, you in Royz will have as much representation as everyone else.”

The cheers outside the palace grew deafening, to the point where the king's next words were barely heard.

“I must stress,” the king said, “that our current system of royalty and nobility is not changing. So you in Versailles, you will lose nothing. In fact, you will gain an extra voice.”

Of course he would have to add that, Toya thought. And he had a feeling that if all the current governors had to be replaced, since they would become the country's Parliament, Teru's father would be elected the new governor of his district. He'd lost the chance to put his son on the throne, but would gain a new personal power.

At least it will shut him up, Toya thought.

“Further details about the Parliament will be released later,” the king said. “And as to my son's Culling . . .”

Now everyone in the car was holding their breath.

“His Royal Highness the Prince of Valluna will make the announcement himself later today,” said the king. “We are foregoing the traditional ceremony in the throne room due to today's events.”

“A Parliament,” the Earl said, looking baffled. “A Parliament?”

“Well, we knew Yo-ka wasn't going to be able to sell the idea of a full constitutional monarchy,” Toya said. “So we figured this would be sufficient – for now.”

“You knew he was going to do this?” the Earl said.

“Yo-ka and I talked about him going to Father about it after the Culling ceremony,” Toya said. “We didn't think things were going to end up like this. But it still worked out. In fact? It probably worked out better than we thought it would.”

The car approached the same back entrance through which Yo-ka had gotten into the palace. A guard opened the doors, and the Earl got out. “Inform His Majesty that I have arrived with . . .”

“Tell him that Yuuki and the Earl have arrived, and Subaru and I are en route,” Toya said.

The Earl looked surprised. “Sir . . .”

“I have business to discuss with the Duke here,” Toya said. He took Subaru's hand. “Come with me.”

“Where are we going?” Subaru said.

“You'll see.”

Subaru suddenly felt his heart pounding. Was this good . . . or bad? Was Toya going to confess . . . or was this goodbye before he was chosen by Yo-ka?

The group moved through the kitchens and into the back halls. The Earl and Yuuki turned one way, Subaru and Toya another.

Subaru held his breath. Here we go, he thought. What's going to happen now may determine the rest of my life.

* * *

Outside the palace, Subaru's friends were among the cheering throngs that heard the Earl's speech.

“I don't believe it!” one of the men behind them yelled. “I don't fucking believe it!”

“Don't use that language in front of the people from Versailles!” another protester said.

“I don't care! We WON! We're going to have a voice in government!”

Tomoya looked at the other two. “Does this mean we're all going home?” he said.

“No way,” said Koudai. “They said they're still making an announcement about the Culling. We came here for Subaru, and we're staying here for Subaru, whether the others stay or not!”

“I still can't believe that THEY are here,” Kuina said, pointing to some of the delegates from Versailles.

“We should be glad they were,” Tomoya said. “They're what saved us from being shot up!”

When the group from Versailles had first approached the group from Royz, both sides had thought it was trouble – especially when the Versailles people had demanded to know why the Royz people were there. Fortunately, Ohbuchi had stated their case in a way that convinced the nobles that their cause was genuine – and both sides felt that they'd been shafted by the palace in their own way. That's when they combined forces.

“Hey,” Koudai said, “do you think that this announcement – the fact that the king is willing to listen to everyone now – is good news for Subaru? His Majesty said he came up with the idea after talking to Prince Yo-ka. Maybe that means the prince has chosen the common person as his consort?”

“It better be,” Tomoya said. “After all this?”

“Even if it isn't – Subaru still had a good ride, right?” Kuina said. “I mean, he got all the way to the end. And Yo-ka may have even come up with this Parliament idea because of him.”

“I just hope he isn't about to have his heart broken,” Kodai said, quietly.

The others were silent. Because they were thinking exactly the same thing.

* * *

Toya led Subaru through the back corridors of the palace – out a side door from the kitchen, down one passageway, around a right turn, then another hall. Subaru was thoroughly confused as to where they were going – other than a random door here or there, he saw absolutely no landmarks.

“Toya,” he said, “where are we?”

“You'll see,” the prince said. “You'll know in a minute.”

Around another corner, and suddenly, Subaru saw an archway in front of him, with a soft glow seeming to come from it – a glow very much like light reflecting off polished metal and stone.

Suddenly, a memory came into his mind, of his very first night in the palace, a forbidden excursion he'd taken with MiA that nearly ended his adventure before it began.

“Is this the royal treasure room?” Subaru said, quietly.

Toya took his hand and squeezed it. “Yes, it is,” he said. “This is where we first met. Imagine what my life would have been like if you and MiA hadn't decided you wanted a look at these jewels.”

“Why are we here?” Subaru said.

But Toya didn't say anything. He just led Subaru past the now-empty space that normally held the ceremonial crowns of the king and queen (since they were wearing them), past the staff the king used for official pronouncements . . .

He stopped in front of the row of Pledge collars. He turned toward Subaru, raised the blond's hand to his mouth and kissed it.

And then, the prince dropped down to one knee before the startled boy.

“Subaru,” he said, “I can't offer you the throne of this country like my brother can. But I can offer you a life where you'll be able to travel to your heart's content, and you'll never be far from an ocean. I can offer you a home in a palace. And more than anything else, I can offer you my arms and my heart. I'm falling very much in love with you, Subaru, and I want the chance to see where we can take it from here. What I'm asking is . . . will you be my Pledged?”

Subaru just stared at him, mouth open. Am I hearing this? He thought. Am I really hearing this? Is this happening? Am I going to wake up in my bed at Ekkusu . . . or worse, in my bed home at Royz . . .

“Toya,” he said, breathlessly, “can you do this? I'm one of your brother's final two candidates . . .”

“He and I talked last night,” Toya said. “He overheard your conversation with Yuuki.”

Subaru looked thunderstruck. “He . . . he did? I never intended for him to . . .”

“Don't worry – he was a bit startled and confused at first, but he wasn't hurt. He said it made him realize what was in the back of his heart and head all along – that it was Yuuki he really wanted in his life. And we talked about how I felt about you, and he said I should go to you and be happy. He said that nobody in the world deserves you more than I do.”

“Oh, my God . . .” Subaru said. He knew he'd had feelings for Yo-ka through this whole process – but they were nowhere near as strong as his feelings for Toya. He looked down at the prince who was still kneeling in front of him, so gorgeous, so shining with love . . .

“Yes,” Subaru said. “Yes, Toya, I'll be your Pledged. I've never wanted anything more in my life!”

Toya stood up, Subaru wrapped his arms around him, and their mouths came together in a kiss both of them had eagerly awaited with every fiber of their hearts. It was warm and breathless and filled with emotion. It was the most intense kiss Subaru had ever experienced.

When they eased apart, Subaru said, “I still can't believe this is happening.”

“It is,” Toya said. “It's happening, and it's going to keep happening every single day from now on.” He stepped over toward the collars, and removed the red-and-blue collar of Charlotte. “Normally I would be putting this on you in a formal ceremony in front of my parents, but I think it's more meaningful with just you and me, isn't it?”

He fastened it around Subaru's shoulders, so it draped over his outfit, and then they kissed again, more passionately this time, Toya's mouth opening just enough for Subaru to slip his tongue in, a thrill running through his body as he felt soft wetness.

Toya eased away, softly. “We should watch it,” he said with a shuddering breath. “I don't think either one of us wants our first time together to be on a cold stone floor.”

Subaru buried his face in the other man's neck, wrapping his arms tighter around him. “I just want to hold you,” he said. “I want to hold you, and never have you let me go.”

“I'll hold you as long as you want,” Toya said, nestling his cheek against Subaru's hair. “Because I don't want to let go of you, either.”

They stayed that way for a long moment, just feeling each other's warmth, slowly getting used to the idea of them being together, a couple at long last.

Finally, Toya said, “We need to go upstairs, Subaru. We need to see my brother, and my parents . . .”

Subaru's stomach twisted a little at the thought of the king's possible reaction to this. “I just hope you're not going to get in any trouble.”

“Nothing to worry about,” Toya said. “Besides, I promised Yo-ka I'd bring him this.” He reached over and grabbed the collar of Valluna.

“It wasn't upstairs?” Subaru said.

“The collar isn't brought up until the prince and the candidates have arrived at the palace,” Toya said. “And things got a little crazy today – as you saw.”

“Toya,” Subaru said, “if this hadn't happened . . . you know, the craziness with the protesters . . . would you have asked me the same way?”

“You mean, would I have brought you down here?” Toya said. “Actually, yes. I would have waited until after the formal ceremony . . . and then, when my parents were busy giving Yuuki and Yo-ka the formal blessing, I would have snuck you out of there. But I think the way it happened worked out much better – don't you? Hey, we not only got each other, the country got a Parliament!”

Subaru laughed. “All right,” he said. “Let's bring Yo-ka that collar. And then . . .”

“We're going to go to my parents for the formal blessing – they'll at least do that part,” Toya said. “They'll probably introduce us to the public from the balcony. And then . . .” He kissed Subaru's neck. “We'll be free to go off on our post-Pledge retreat. Oh, yeah, we do have to stop in Royz at some point for me to meet your family, too.”

But other than that, Subaru thought, I'm really never going back to Royz. I will never, ever be a tugboat clerk again. I'm going to live in the palace at Charlotte, and if things continue to work out with Toya and I, I'm going to be his Prince-Consort.

It was a dream come true. A fairy tale – sort of. The beginning of a Happily Ever After.

* * *

They made their way upstairs to the king's office, where the family was waiting – the king behind his desk, on the phone with one of his advisors about setting up the Parliament, the queen off in a corner, talking quietly with the Earl about the Culling, and Yo-ka and Yuuki seated on the sofa at the side of the room.

All eyes turned to the couple as they entered, however . . . and went straight to the glittering silver, red and blue around his neck.

The king said, “I'll call you back,” and hung up. He stood up and walked toward Toya, slowly. “And just what do you think you're doing?” he said.

“What you wanted me to do, Father,” Toya said. “You said you wanted both of us to find someone. So I did.”

“This was not YOUR Culling! You're not supposed to go around poaching your brother's . . .”

“We already talked about this, Father, remember? I thought you didn't want Subaru on the Royal Consort's throne,” Yo-ka said, standing up. “He won't be. If this continues to work out, he'll be on the Consort's throne in Charlotte.”

“You told me that Toya had found someone to keep company with during your Culling! You didn't tell me it was one of YOUR candidates!”

“Who else would it be?” Yo-ka said, walking toward his father. “Certainly not the Earl.”

“Thanks for that,” the Earl grumbled, sarcastically.

“What happened,” Yo-ka said, “was that I had to go on a very formal program of structured dates with these men. There wasn't enough time to get to know anyone, really – not to the point where I was ready to make a major commitment. But Toya? He had no formal schedule, so every day I wasn't with Subaru, the two of them were meeting up for surfing lessons. And guess what? Feelings grew, naturally. That's what I meant, Father, when I said I still think a Culling is a lousy way to find a mate.”

Subaru glanced over at Yuuki – who was looking none too pleased at what he was hearing. He was folding his arms across his chest, tapping his foot, glaring at Yo-ka. . .

“But you indicated to me that you DID choose one of your candidates,” Yo-ka's father said.

Yo-ka didn't respond to his father directly. He turned to Yuuki. “Yuuki . . . we started something when we were on this Culling, but because of the fact that I also, well . . .”

“Was dating a harem of other guys?” Yuuki said.

“Well, yes,” Yo-ka said. “But you're the one who always had the biggest share of my attention. You were always the one I wanted to get to know better. And I want that chance now. I want us to date, like two normal people. No formal settings, no schedule, just being together when we want to be together. And . . .”

Yo-ka turned his gaze back to his father. “No rigid six-month deadline on an engagement. He will formally be my Pledged, but we will take things at our own pace. We will move on to the next stage of our relationship if and when we decide it's time.”

“Wait a minute,” Yuuki said. “You . . . you're serious? I'm your full-blown Pledged now?”

“I guess I need to do this formally,” Yo-ka said. “Did you guys bring the collar?”

“Right here,” Toya said, holding it out.

Yo-ka took it, and dropped down on one knee. “Yuuki,” he said, “will you be my Pledged?”

Yuuki looked down at him, took a deep breath, and said, “You idiot – you know I could never say no to you.”

Yo-ka stood up, put the collar around Yuuki's neck, and they kissed, while Subaru and Toya applauded – and the king facepalmed in the background.

“Wait a minute,” Yuuki said. “What do I tell my band? They've been waiting to get back to work!”

“You tell them that you're going to have a year-long residency at the Regency Room,” Yo-ka said.

Yuuki looked shocked. “The . . . the REGENCY ROOM? Isn't that, like . . . one of the swankiest places in the capital?”

“Yes, and I know the owner,” Yo-ka said. “Besides, I'm the prince, aren't I? I can pull a few strings.”

“Oh, my God!” Yuuki hugged him, tightly. “I am so glad I met you!”

The queen looked over at her husband. “Well? We didn't have most of the formal Pledging ceremony, but we can still salvage the last part. Come over here and give these couples your blessing! And if you don't? I will!”

Her eyes carried a distinct hint of I've-still-got-secrets-of-yours-these-boys-would-love-to-know-about. And so, the king got up, with a sigh, and walked over to the four young people.

“Kneel before me,” he said. They all did, and he put one hand on Yo-ka's shoulder, the other on Yuuki's. “His Royal Highness Yo-ka, Prince of Valluna and Yuuki, Grand Archduke of Lycaon, I bless your relationship and pray that you have many happy days to come. May you grow stronger in your love for one another day by day. Go now, and build a life together.”

Yo-ka gave the formal reply, “God save you and bless you forever, Your Royal Majesty.”

The king moved to the other couple and repeated the blessing – though Subaru noticed he seemed to choke a little when he said, “Subaru, Duke of Royz.” What his hopefully-future-father-in-law thought didn't matter anymore, though. All that mattered was they were together, it was final, he and Toya belonged to each other.

It was the happiest day of Subaru's life – and then some.

When the two couples rose, Yo-ka said, “Earl, I want you to go to the radio office. Inform all the news departments that the Crown Prince is going to break into programming with a special announcement. There's still a microphone for going live on the balcony, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the Earl sighed.

“Oh, and Earl?” Yo-ka said. “You're due for a promotion. From now on, you're a Marquis.”

“There's already a Marquis in my district, Your Highness,” the other man said.

“Make it a Grand Marquis,” Yo-ka said. “Add in an Arch if necessary.”

“Son, only I can . . .” said the king.

“I can grant titles as long as the Culling is still active,” Yo-ka said. “The Culling isn't over until I formally introduce my Pledged to the people.” He glanced over at Subaru and Toya. “And my brother introduces his Pledged, as well.”

The Earl-who-was-now-a-Grand-Marquis left the room, and returned a few minutes later with the news that Yo-ka could go live in sixty seconds.

“All right,” Yo-ka said. “Let me go out there first.”

He walked over to the doors of the grand balcony, where all announcements were made, and threw them open. It was time for the Culling to come to an end.

* * *

Most of the crowd from the demonstration was still milling around the palace. Well, “milling” wasn't quite accurate – it was more like they were celebrating their victory, their new Parliament, their voice in government. A beer vendor nearby found himself doing very good business, as the celebrants kept buying kegs and the cups to drink the stuff out of.

Subaru's friends were also there – but for a different reason. “I wonder if we're going to see him?” Tomoya said, glancing up at the palace.

“Yo-ka said there would be an announcement about the Culling,” Koudai said. “Though I think that's the last thing on everyone's mind right now.”

Just then, the doors flew open, and Crown Prince Yo-ka came out, striding up to the microphone that was used for announcements to both the crowd and the broadcast audience. “My fellow citizens of Veekay,” he said, “I rejoice with you in the formation of our Parliament. It is a happy day for all of us, a day when all of us are finally equal.”

“HELLZ YEAH!” shouted one of the more inebriated celebrants below, as everyone laughed.

“It is a happy day for me on another level, too,” Yo-ka said. “As you know, I have completed my Culling, and I am pleased to announce that it was successful.” The crowd cheered.

“Oh, crap,” Kuina said. “Here it comes. We're going to find out it if it's him.”

“Come on, Subaru,” Koudai said, softly. “I have faith in you.”

“But it gives me even greater pleasure to announce that it wasn't just successful for me,” Yo-ka said. “My brother has become Pledged as a result of this process as well.”

The crowd gasped. Well, this was a first – two princes had never been Pledged in a single Culling before! “A TWOFER!” another drunken celebrant shouted.

“And now, without further ado,” Yo-ka said, “let me introduce to you my Pledged, a wonderful human being who I am so glad that I met . . . Yuuki, the Grand Archduke of Lycaon.”

Yuuki stepped out on the balcony at Yo-ka's side, as the crowd cheered – except for the three young men who were looking very down at the moment.

“He didn't make it,” Tomoya said. “So close, so goddamn close . . .”

“It's a really good thing we're here now, isn't it?” Koudai said. “We'll be escorting him home.”

“And now, I'm turning things over to my brother, His Highness Prince Toya of Charlotte,” Yo-ka said. The younger prince walked onto the balcony, waving to the crowd.

“Thank you,” Toya said. “You know, when I went along on my brother's Culling, it was as an observer. I didn't expect to meet someone who would turn my life around. But I did – among my brother's candidates. And with his blessing, I was able to ask him to be my Pledged. And so, I would like to introduce to you all . . .”

He paused, took a deep breath, and said, “Subaru, the Duke of Royz!”

The three men on the ground all gaped. Birds could have flown into their mouths and they wouldn't notice. They all looked at one another, looked at the balcony, then looked at one another again.

“DUKE?” Kuina shouted. “HOLY SHIT!”

And that was indeed their friend walking out there, dressed in fancier clothes than anyone from Royz had ever worn, the collar glittering around his shoulders, smiling and waving to the crowd.

“OH, YEAH!” Tomoya shouted. “Oh, HELL yeah! Subaru bagged himself a prince! Not the one we thought at first – but he bagged himself a prince!”

“He's going to live in a palace from now on!” Koudai shouted. “He . . .”

They all looked at each other. They knew what that meant – their friend was never coming home to Royz. His success was bittersweet – at least for them.

Meanwhile, on the balcony, Subaru was waving, hearing the cheers of the crowd – and feeling, again, like he was in a dream. I'm going to wake up in my bed back home any second, he thought. I'm going to wake up and go outside and I'll be on the way to work and I'll be seeing Kuina and Koudai and Tomoya . . .

Except he WAS seeing them. They were below him, in the crowd. He blinked. No, it couldn't be – could it?

He grabbed Toya's shoulder. “We have to go down there,” he said. “There's friends of mine from home in that crowd!”

“Are you sure?” Toya said.

“I'm positive!” Subaru said. “I'd know them anywhere!”

“Let's go, then!” Toya said. He looked over at his brother. “We'll be back.”

Yo-ka put his hand on Toya's shoulder. “Toya,” he said. “About tonight . . .”

“Um, yeah, well, since you'll be at the Pavilion, I thought we'd go back to . . .”

“You can have the Pavilion tonight, Toya,” Yo-ka said.

Toya looked startled. “Really? But you're the Crown Prince.”

“And as Crown Prince, I decide where I'm spending the first night with my Pledged. Yuuki hasn't seen Valluna yet – we didn't go there during the Culling. I'm taking him there.”

“So . . . that means we get it for more than one night, right? Because it's not exactly a hop-skip-and-jump from Valluna to Ekkisu.”

“For as long as the two of you want to stay there,” Yo-ka said.

Toya hugged him. “You're the best brother ever, you know that?”

“No, you are. I told you that nobody deserves Subaru more than you, and I meant it.”

The two brothers parted, and Toya waved as he took Subaru's hand and they headed downstairs. “So, your friends – do they do the same kind of work you used to do?”

“Um, more or less,” Subaru said.

“We have some openings in the marine department at Charlotte,” Toya said. “I could hire them all. That way, they'd all be living and working near you – and it would be a better paying job.”

“You'd do that?” Subaru said. “Toya . . .”

Toya put an arm around Subaru and hugged him. “For you,” he said, “I'd do just about anything.”

Subaru felt pure joy rising up inside him again. This really did feel like a happily ever after – although there was still one part of it to come.

They were going to consummate their relationship tonight. And that, he was really looking forward to.

* * *

Subaru enjoyed the second flight of his life a hell of a lot more than the first.

There was no heart in the mouth, no butterflies in the stomach, no dread about what was coming and what would happen afterward and where his whole life was going to go from here. There was just Toya sitting next to him, holding his hand, telling him how gorgeous he was and how very lucky he was that they'd found each other.

Everything after the scene on the balcony had been a wonderful blur. There was the reunion with his friends from Royz, all yelling and whooping and hugging – which led to even more yelling and whooping when Toya offered them the jobs in the Charlotte marine department. (“You're offering me a cushy government job in a place with incredible waves? Your Highness, there IS no answer to that but yes,” Kuina said.)

And then there was the phone call to Subaru's delighted parents, his mother crying with happiness, his father saying, “Son, the last thing in the world I expected was a duke in the family. I'm proud of you. So, so proud.” Following that was the trip back to the airfield – a lot smoother than the trip from there to the palace, since most of the “Power to the People” crowd had re-boarded their ships and sailed back home.

And finally, the plane was coming in for a landing in the exact same place they had taken off from that morning – the airfield at Ekkisu. A car was waiting for them, the driver bowing at the sight of the plane's occupants.

“My brother called the staff,” Toya whispered, “and told them to expect me, not him. They were a bit surprised.”

When they reached the royal retreat, they were met by a row of more bowing staff, saying, “Congratulations, Your Highness and Your Grace.” Subaru didn't think he'd ever get used to the idea of being addressed as a duke. As far as he was concerned, he was still a kid from Royz – just one with a fancy collar around his neck and a duke's badge of office pinned to his jacket.

“It feels so funny being back here without everyone else,” Subaru said as they walked into the main hall. “It's just so . . . empty.” His eyes couldn't help but seek out the parlor where he'd had the fateful conversation with Yuuki the night before – the one Yo-ka had overheard.

If we hadn't had that talk, Subaru thought, would Toya and I be here together right now?

“Don't worry,” Toya said. “We won't be spending much time in the main house.”

Subaru knew what he meant by that, all right. “Oh,” he said, blushing.

“There's a little dining room off to the side of the Pavilion where we'll have our meals,” Toya said. “And the rest of the time?” He leaned over and whispered to Subaru, “The staff is under strict orders not to disturb us as long as we're here unless we ask them to.”

“Ooohhhh,” Subaru said, blushing even redder now. His heart was flat-out pounding. Oh, my God, it's been eons since I've had a boyfriend, he thought. Am I going to be able to please him? What if I'm not able to . . .

They walked out back, down the path to the Pavilion, which was already lit brightly. “That little building jutting off to the side is the dining room,” Toya said. “They'll serve us dinner as soon as we're settled in, and then the rest of the night is ours.”

“Oh . . . okay,” Subaru said.

Toya rubbed his shoulder. “Relax,” he said. “We're under no pressure. There's no time schedule. We'll just let things happen between us when they happen. Right now, we'll just get changed into yukatas and take it easy for a few minutes. It's been a long day.”

“A long day, all right!” Subaru said. “Toya, I never thought I'd be back here with you. Never in a million years.”

“Believe it,” Toya said. “Because it's happening.”

Once they entered the Pavilion, Subaru realized instantly what a relief it was to get out of the fancy clothes and ornamentation – the hat laid on the dresser, the heavy, hard-won collar laid out lovingly beside it, his badge of office in front of that. The pieces of the fancy outfit he took off one by one and folded over the back of a chair.

But when he was down to his underwear, he quickly slipped into the bathroom to put the yukata on. He didn't feel quite right about completely stripping off in front of Toya – yet. He quickly yanked off his last garment and then slid on the robe.

When he walked out, Toya was already changed. He held his hand out to Subaru. “You look just as gorgeous in that as you did in all that finery,” he said.

“So do you,” Subaru said. And what will he look like with nothing at all? he wondered.

Toya led him toward the dining room, and Subaru followed. There were staff members waiting for them, pouring wine and serving courses, just like they did throughout the Culling.

At least this was a table for two, not the big tables where they'd eaten before. Subaru could concentrate fully on his new lover, and not miss the presence of his friends all around him.

During the meal, the two of them talked about the day's events – Toya said he was surprised by the presence of the demonstrators, but then again, he really shouldn't have been. “It's been a long time coming,” he said. “They just needed some sort of catalyst to realize that they could matter. You were that catalyst.”

“The last thing in the world I wanted to do when I got into this was be the cause of a revolution,” Subaru said. “I just wanted to see the palace.”

“It's a lucky thing you made that decision, you know,” Toya said. “For the people as a whole . . . and for me.” He reached over and put his hand over Subaru's. “I always believe that things happen for a reason. I think this whole Culling thing happened so we could meet.” Pause. “Oh, and so our country could form a Parliament and everyone could have an equal voice. But also so we could meet.”

Subaru laughed. “I like both ideas,” he said.

The meal was finished, the dishes cleared away – and they headed for the main part of the Pavilion, hand-in-hand.

Here we go, Subaru thought. This is when it's going to happen. Stay calm, just stay calm . . .  
They walked over toward the bed. Subaru perched gingerly on the edge of it, Toya sitting beside him. A glance at the bedside table revealed that the staff had already set out candles, a tube of lubricant, several pieces of what looked like plastic sheeting . . .

Toya wrapped his arm around Subaru, letting his fingers trail down his back. “Hi, there, gorgeous,” he said.

“Hi there yourself,” Subaru said.

“There's just one thing I want to ask you, baby,” Toya said. He leaned over and kissed Subaru's neck, tenderly. “Do you usually prefer to top . . . or bottom? I'm open to either.”

Subaru felt his insides turn to liquid when Toya used the affectionate term for him. “Bottom,” he said. “I've always bottomed, except . . .”

“Except?” Toya began to lay soft and hot kisses in a line up his neck.

“I . . . I like to ride my lover sometimes . . .”

“I am definitely open to that,” Toya said. The kisses moved higher, and then Toya's lips were starting to move up Subaru's jawline, and then toward his mouth . . .

Their lips met, then parted, and Subaru let out a soft noise of pleasure, his arms wrapping around Toya. When their tongues brushed against each other, to Subaru, it almost felt like their souls were merging.

Dimly, he was aware they were tipping back onto the mattress together, mouths still caressing each other, and Toya's hands were moving down his body, unfastening the tie of his yukata.

Subaru returned the favor, finding Toya's belt, unfastening it, and then the two were wriggling around, getting rid of those unwanted bits of fabric and tossing them away.

They lay against each other, naked skin to naked skin, kissing hot and heavy, tongues probing each other's mouths. Subaru reached up and caressed Toya's back, fingers running over skin he'd only dreamed of touching before. He just felt so wonderfully smooth, so wonderfully hot.

Toya moved down over Subaru's neck, and Subaru arched back with a gasp, exposing the column of his throat, encouraging his lover to do more with it . . . and that he did, starting to nibble gently at the sensitive skin, making Subaru give a little gasp.

“Keep going,” he said, breathlessly, and Toya moved downward, lips caressing Subaru's collarbone, tongue flicking out to tease and caress the flesh of his upper chest . . .

When he reached a nipple, Toya brushed his lips over it, teasingly, then opened his mouth, his tongue moving in a wet circle around and around the bud. He kissed the peak, drew back a little, flicked his tongue over it again . . . and then lowered his head to suck, his fingers reaching over to caress the nipple's twin.

Subaru let out a strangled cry, clutching the back of his lover's head. “Toya!” he gasped, his hips moving upward, thrusting against the other man's body. When that wonderful tongue started moving back and forth over the bud again, Subaru let out another cry, nearly pulling at his lover's hair.

The hand that had been caressing the other nipple moved down, down, over Subaru's quivering stomach, until the fingers made contact with their ultimate goal. Subaru moaned as they moved along the shaft, exploring from top to bottom, caressing here and there.

Toya raised his head. “Oh, my God, baby, you're so damn hard already,” he murmured. “You feel so incredibly good.”

“Touch me,” Subaru gasped. “Touch me more . . .”

Toya began to stroke him, slowly. “Your cock is beautiful,” he said, breathlessly. “I've wondered for so long what you'd feel like, and you're even better than I thought you'd be.”

Subaru was lost in pleasure, starting to writhe on the fancy bedding, feeling those fingers run up and over and around the tip, then downward, touching him everywhere, caressing . . . even running lightly over his balls before making their way upward again. It was just so good, so amazingly good . . .

Toya moved upward, wrapping his arms around them, gently turning them so they were lying face-to-face. “Touch me, too,” he said. “Let me feel your hand on me.”

Subaru eagerly reached out, wrapping his fingers around his new lover's erection, thinking it felt so wonderfully hard and beautifully shaped and just big enough that he'd really feel it moving within him. He slid downward, his fingers tracing patterns on the hot flesh as he went, memorizing every inch, every reaction, every little moan Toya let out – the way he shuddered a little as Subaru caressed the point where his shaft joined his body, the deep groan as he teased the slit at the very tip.

Still caressing, he shifted so he could bring his mouth to Toya's chest, finding a nipple, licking back and forth across it, and he tasted so good, smelled so good . . . he began to suck at it, like Toya had done to him, his lover's sharp intake of breath making Subaru shudder in ecstasy himself.

“Careful, baby,” Toya gasped. “Too much and I'll come . . . and you want me inside you, don't you?”  
“Yes,” Subaru moaned. “Yes, Toya . . .”

“Turn over and let me get you ready.”

Subaru flipped on his stomach, drawing his knees up, hands clutching the bedding in anticipation. He felt a lubed finger start to probe him, very gently, very gradually opening him up.

“Has it been a long time for you?” Toya said.

“Yes,” Subaru answered, breathlessly.

“I'll take it slow. I don't want you to feel anything but pleasure.”

The finger slid in and out, very slowly, gradually getting deeper with every thrust, and Subaru moaned, clutching the bedding harder, murmuring, “Toya, I can't believe this is happening, I can't believe we're doing this . . .”

“We're doing this.” Toya leaned over and kissed Subaru's shoulder. “And we'll do it over and over, any time you want to.” A second finger began to slide into him. “You feel so good already, oh, God, baby, I'm aching to feel myself deep in here.”

“I want you,” Subaru moaned. “I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone.”

By the time the third finger slid into him, Subaru was burning up. He thrust back against Toya, trying to open himself up faster. He moaned loudly, feeling those fingers moving within him, spreading apart gently.

“Please,” Subaru gasped. “Please, I'm ready . . .”

Toya slipped the fingers out, saying, “Turn over so we can see each other.” Subaru quickly flipped on his back, spreading his legs apart and holding them up, offering himself totally without restraint or shame.

The prince grabbed the lube and quickly prepared himself, then lay atop Subaru, bringing himself to the other man's entrance. The two of them paused, just looking into each other's eyes, knowing this was it – the true moment of consummation.

They leaned toward each other and kissed, tenderly, and then Toya began to slowly and gently push in. Subaru stiffened – there was pain at first, and an uncomfortable stretching, but he stuck with it, willing himself to relax . . .

And relax he did. The pain faded quickly. Subaru closed his eyes, feeling pleasure start to bloom deep inside him as his lover pushed in further. Toya paused, and they kissed again, tongues caressing one another.

Toya started a slow thrust, Subaru keeping his eyes open, watching the other man move over him, move within him. They picked up the pace, bit by bit, Toya watching Subaru's face for any sign of discomfort or distress, but none came.

“More,” Subaru moaned, and Toya moved faster, thrusting deeper . . . and Subaru began to move with him, hips thrusting upward, matching his lover's motions. They both began to moan loudly, fingers traveling over each other's bodies, moving over sweat-slicked skin.

Their pace quickened, Toya thrusting into Subaru, Subaru rising to meet him, both of them feeling the heat rising within them to intense levels, the pleasure nearly overwhelming . . . but neither one wanted it to end, they wanted to stay wrapped up totally in each other forever.

A hard thrust hit a sensitive spot within Subaru, and he let out a cry . . . so Toya thrust against that spot again and again, and Subaru felt his whole body start to tense and tremble, the heat within him threatening to explode . . .

Another, harder thrust, and Subaru felt ecstasy overwhelm him like never before. He let out a near-scream that was so loud that it was a very good thing they were in an isolated part of the estate. Pleasurable shudders ran through him, again and again and again, until he felt drained in the most wonderful way . . .

And he heard Toya give out a yell that was just as loud, and sink deep into him, coming intensely into his lover . . . until he collapsed atop Subaru, and the two shared a last, tender kiss.

“I love you,” Toya said. He'd held it back all this time, and they were the truest words he'd ever spoken.

“I love you, too,” Subaru said, and suddenly, he was more overwhelmed with happiness than he'd ever been in his life.

We're together now, he thought. We're truly one . . . in body and soul.

He snuggled against Toya, closing his eyes. And the best part was, this bliss, unlike the Culling, didn't have to end. It could go on as long as they wanted. 

He hoped it would be forever.

* * *

A couple of hours later, the bed was empty, and the lovers were in the shower.

Well, at least they were in the shower area with the water running. They'd started out washing each other . . . and ended up in their current position. Which just happened to be Subaru sitting on the seat at the end of the stall, legs spread apart, leaning back and moaning.

Toya's position was kneeling on the floor in front of Subaru, mouth wrapped around his lover's cock. He was moving up and down rapidly, sucking hard, feeling himself completely invaded by the way Subaru felt, his scent, his taste . . .

One hand slid up Subaru's body, all the way to his lips, which he caressed gently before pushing into his mouth. Subaru sucked on the digit as Toya pushed it in and out, mimicking Toya's own motions.

He pulled back until only the head was in his lips, running his tongue around it, caressing every bit, then sliding down fast, deep, taking as much of his lover in as he could. Back up again, then down, harder and faster and deeper this time, thinking he was taking Subaru in further than any guy he'd ever gone down on.

The finger moved downward, sliding over Subaru's chest, finding his nipple and gently pinching it, then caressing, as he pulled Subaru out of his mouth altogether to rapidly sweep his tongue up one side of his cock and down the other.

He took the head back in and sucked hard as he gently pinched the nipple again, and Subaru let out a wail. “Toya . . . Toya, I'm coming . . .”

Toya pulled away from his lover, wanting to catch some of his come in the face, and he succeeded, feeling the warm droplets splatter over him. He let his tongue flick out, tasting them.

He moved up, kissing Subaru's lips hard, the come droplets smearing over both of them. The two shifted positions, so that Toya was the one sitting on the seat and Subaru was moving down to the floor, kissing Toya's nipples on the way down, then moving down to the erection that awaited him.

Subaru ran his tongue slowly around the tip, then flicked it back and forth, wrapping his lips around the head and moving down slowly . . .

Oh, God, he felt so good in his mouth. Subaru moved downward easily, thinking he couldn't get enough of this, couldn't get enough of this man he was with. He began to suck, moving backward, until he was almost out of his lips, then rapidly down again.

Subaru got into a steady rhythm, up, then down, the wonderful hard thing sliding through his lips, over his tongue, damn near down his throat . . . he did the same thing Toya had done to him, reaching up with his hand, caressing a nipple as he sucked . . .

And Toya was moaning loudly, reaching down to clutch at Subaru's blond head, crying out his lover's name, his whole body trembling with ecstasy, teetering on the edge of orgasm . . .

Subaru gently pinched the nipple, and Toya followed his lover over the edge, crying out loudly. The blond pulled back just in time, catching some of the white wetness on his face, and like Toya had done, he licked at it.

When he moved up to kiss Toya, he said, “I never gave a blow job that deep before!”

“Neither did I,” Toya said caressing his lover's face. “I think that means we were meant for each other, doesn't it?”

They kissed again, and Subaru thought, I knew that from the moment we first met, forever and a day ago in the royal treasure room. It just took me this long to be fully aware of it.

* * *

Another hour or so later, and the bedroom was filled with sounds of ecstasy again. Namely, moans from Subaru, who was on all fours, head resting on his folded hands.

The source of said ecstasy was Toya, who was behind him, leaning over, face buried in that sweet ass – with a dental dam over it. This plastic was needed because Toya was currently pushing his tongue into the lovely hole in said sweet ass.

“Oh, God, yes!” Subaru moaned. He'd never had this done to him. Never. He'd wondered what Toya was doing when he had him get on all fours, then poured lube into his cleft, then put the plastic over it . . .

The feeling of that hot, soft, strong thing pushing into him, pulling out, running around the rim, teasing the most sensitive spots, then sliding in again, wriggling about, moving place to place . . . It was wild and hot and sexy and forbidden. It was more intimate than anything Subaru had ever done with a lover. And he couldn't get enough of it.

Toya began to thrust his tongue in and out, probing deeper, flicking the wriggling around, hitting sensitive spots that he hadn't before. Subaru moaned with every little movement, every change of pressure or speed.

“More, don't stop, please, please, Toya . . .” Subaru found himself thrusting his hips backward, wanting that tongue so deep in him, and Toya was moving faster, responding to the noises Subaru was making, pressing against spots that made him moan the loudest.

Toya's fingers found Subaru's cock, stroked it lightly . . . and that was all Subaru needed. He cried out loudly with release, his whole body trembling, come pouring all over Toya's hand.

He turned back toward his lover, panting. “Sorry . . . I . . . it's just that it felt so good . . .”

Toya kissed his shoulder. “Subaru, love, don't feel sorry. I wanted you to come like that.” He leaned his head against him. “How did you like it?”

“Unreal,” Subaru said. “Fabulous. Toya, it wasn't like anything I've ever felt. But . . . you didn't come . . .”

“I can now,” Toya said. “Watch.”

He pulled the plastic away, poured lube on Subaru's cleft again, and leaned over him, pressing his cock between the halves of the lovely ass. He began to thrust, rubbing himself against the hot flesh, feeling himself encased in it but not penetrating.

Subaru felt so damn good. Everywhere, every way he touched him was ecstasy. He wasn't like anyone Toya had ever been with.

He began to move faster, thrusting harder against his lover, cock sliding back and forth through the cleft, enclosed in heat. His moans were getting louder, more intense . . . he felt Subaru start to thrust back against him, rubbing against him, trying to bring Toya to ecstasy as well . . .

Toya suddenly cried out, leaning over Subaru as the ecstasy burst, as he poured hot come all over his lover's ass. He clung to his lover, panting, as the last shudders faded.

Quickly, he reached for the wet cloth he'd brought with him to clean them both up. Subaru turned toward them, and they kissed.

“I'd say that was a successful experiment,” Subaru said.

“We can experiment with whatever you want,” Toya said. “I mean it, Subaru. Any way you want to do it . . . any way you've always wanted to do it . . . any way you've fantasized about it . . . we'll do it all.” He held his lover closer. “And we have all the time in the world.”

Subaru closed his eyes and snuggled against Toya. “I meant it when I said I loved you, Toya.”

“And I meant it, too,” Toya said. He leaned his head against Subaru's. “We're going to have a good life together – the best life any couple ever had. I'm so, so glad I found you.”

“I'm glad I found you, too,” Subaru said, yawning.

He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep against his lover. They really did have all the time in the world. They could make love all they wanted, interspersing their bouts of passion with meals, intrips into town - and going surfing. Because that would be a part of their lives, always, no matter what else happened.

And then? They could build a partnership, in business and in life. A shared existence. The happily ever after anyone who had ever gazed at a palace in the distance had ever dreamed of.

His last conscious thought before sleep claimed him was that volunteering for the Culling so he could see the castle, and the country, was the best decision he ever made.

* * *

EPILOGUE

The blissful interlude at the Pavilion was only the beginning.

Subaru and Toya spent a week there, then moved on to Charlotte for another week (during which they became bound and determined to have each other in every bedroom in the palace), and finally, they returned to the capital.

The king insisted they live there for awhile – and that Subaru have what he called “royalty training.” That meant a constant stream of tutors in speech, etiquette, customs and ceremony. Subaru put up with it willingly – and surprised himself with how well he picked everything up – just as long as he and Toya could have a few hours to surf during the day and plenty of time to romp in their bedroom at night.

When Subaru had been there a couple of months, he got a pleasant surprise. Yo-ka had convinced the king to hire a royal perfumier, and a royal ice cream chef, and a royal photographer. Yes, it was his old friends – Ruiza, Hiro and MiA all moved to the capital, MiA bringing his Koichi with him (whose designs were considered a bit avant-garde for palace stuff, but Yo-ka did get him a position with a cutting-edge boutique).

And as for Hiyori, Yo-ka made good on his promise to introduce him to people he could have in his comedy group – conveniently based in the capital as well. And so, the Culling group was reunited at long last.

Subaru found that his relationship with Yo-ka shifted easily from “confused dating” during the Culling to “good friends and potential in-laws” afterward – and his relationship with Yuuki continued to grow, until Yuuki was as much a part of “The Clique” as anyone else. The group were frequent guests at his shows at the Regency Room.

True to Yo-ka's word, neither couple kept to a strict timeline when moving from Pledging to engagement. Toya and Subaru made it official about a year after the end of the Culling, Yo-ka and Yuuki following suit a few months later.

By that time, Subaru and Toya were able to equally divide their time between the capital and Charlotte – allowing Subaru to see both his hometown and Culling friends – and had started up that surfing supply and rollboard business. With the two of them as spokespeople, the sports took off in popularity and got picked up nationwide. Eventually, the two would found a surfing competition called the Charlotte Invitational that even drew international participants.

The Parliament, meanwhile, had some bumps and bruises getting started – for one thing, they had no Parliamentary hall at first and were forced to meet in a university stadium, and members scrambled to find housing in the capital when deliberations were in session – but it smoothed out after awhile, and met its goal of giving everyone an equal voice. Even the king had to admit, begrudgedly – very begrudgedly – that Yo-ka had a good idea.

Finally, two years to the day after Subaru boarded a rattletrap merchant boat to leave Royz for the capital, he and Toya were married. The date was picked deliberately. And so, a tugboat clerk from a lower-class district became Subaru, Prince-Consort of Charlotte, Duke of Royz. But if you asked him, the title that meant the most to him was “Toya's husband.”

And so, we come to the end of this tale. And as with all fairy tales, it is customary to say these closing words, but with Subaru and company, it was especially true: They lived Happily Ever After.


End file.
